光陰似箭

See also: 光阴似箭

Chinese

		bright and dark; light and shade; time	to seem; to appear; similar to seem; to appear; similar; like; to resemble	arrow
trad. (光陰似箭)		光陰	似	箭
simp. (光阴似箭)		光阴	似	箭

FWOTD – 6 October 2015

Etymology

From 但見時光流似箭 ("surely time and tide flow like an arrow"), as versed by Wei Zhuang (Tang Dynasty, c. 836-910) in his poem 《關河道中》:

槐陌蟬聲柳市風，驛樓高倚夕陽東。
往來千里路長在，聚散十年人不同。
但見時光流似箭，豈知天道曲如弓。
平生志業匡堯舜，又擬滄浪學釣翁。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

槐陌蝉声柳市风，驿楼高倚夕阳东。
往来千里路长在，聚散十年人不同。
但见时光流似箭，岂知天道曲如弓。
平生志业匡尧舜，又拟沧浪学钓翁。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

Huái mò chán shēng liǔshì fēng, yìlóu gāo yǐ xīyáng dōng.
Wǎnglái qiānlǐ lù cháng zài, jùsàn shí nián rén bùtóng.
Dàn jiàn shíguāng liú sì jiàn, qǐ zhī tiāndào qū rú gōng.
Píngshēng zhìyè kuāng Yáo Shùn, yòu nǐ cānglàng xué diàowēng. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): guāngyīn sì jiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ ㄙˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gwong¹ jam¹ ci⁵ zin³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: guāngyīn sì jiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄤ ㄧㄣ ㄙˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: guangyin sìh jiàn
    • Wade–Giles: kuang¹-yin¹ ssŭ⁴ chien⁴
    • Yale: gwāng-yīn sz̀ jyàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guangin syh jiann
    • Palladius: гуанъинь сы цзянь (guanʺinʹ sy czjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ in⁵⁵ sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gwong¹ jam¹ ci⁵ zin³
    • Yale: gwōng yām chíh jin
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gwong¹ jam¹ tsi⁵ dzin³
    • Guangdong Romanization: guong¹ yem¹ qi⁵ jin³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵ t͡sʰiː¹³ t͡siːn³³/

Proverb

光陰似箭

1. Time flies like an arrow.

   • 都知光陰似箭，我捱過這天，我過到這天，明日又有挑戰。 [Literary Cantonese, trad.]
     都知光阴似箭，我捱过这天，我过到这天，明日又有挑战。 [Literary Cantonese, simp.]

     From: 吳若希, 第一天失戀

     dou¹ zi¹ gwong¹ jam¹ ci⁵ zin³, ngo⁵ ngaai⁴ gwo³ ze² tin¹, ngo⁵ gwo³ dou³ ze² tin¹, ming⁴ jat⁶ jau⁶ jau⁵ tiu¹ zin³. [Jyutping]

     I know that time flies like an arrow. [Even if] I suffer through this day, [and if] I can get through this day, tomorrow will still be challenging.

Synonyms

• 時光流似箭／时光流似箭
• 歲月如流／岁月如流
• 日月如梭

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (光陰似箭):

• → Japanese: 光陰矢(こういんや)の如(ごと)し (kōin ya no gotoshi)

See also

• 歲月不待人／岁月不待人
• 歲月不饒人／岁月不饶人 (suìyuè bù ráorén)