諺語 · a single proverb
中流砥柱
What does 中流砥柱 (zhōng liú dǐ zhù) mean?
中流砥柱 (zhōng liú dǐ zhù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "the pillar rock in midstream." In use it means: A person or force that stands firm when everything around them is turbulent; the anchor in chaos. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "the pillar rock in midstream."
The reading
The river rages and the rock does not move. Not because the rock is unfeeling, but because the rock has been standing here longer than the river has been angry. Every flood passes. Every current weakens. The rock remains because it is built from something the water cannot dissolve. Be the rock, and let the river explain itself to someone else.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common literary expression; appears in Zuo Zhuan and Shang Shu traditions
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 中流砥柱 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 中流砥柱 (zhōng liú dǐ zhù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common literary expression; appears in Zuo Zhuan and Shang Shu traditions. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 中流砥柱?
In Mandarin it is zhōng liú dǐ zhù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 中流砥柱 aloud in Mandarin.