臨淵羨魚，不如退而結網

Chinese

		to wish for something good but take no action to obtain it; irresoluteness		to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as; cannot compare to; to be inferior to	retreat; to decline; to move back retreat; to decline; to move back; to withdraw	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	knot; sturdy; to bear (fruit) knot; sturdy; to bear (fruit); bond; to tie; to bind	net; network
trad. (臨淵羨魚，不如退而結網)		臨淵羨魚	，	不如	退	而	結	網
simp. (临渊羡鱼，不如退而结网)		临渊羡鱼	，	不如	退	而	结	网
Literally: “Rather than long for fish next to a pool, it would be better to go home and weave a net.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lín yuān xiàn yú, bù rú tuì ér jié wǎng

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄩㄢ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄩˊ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄦˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄨㄤˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lín yuān xiàn yú, bù rú tuì ér jié wǎng
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄩㄢ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄩˊ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄦˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄨㄤˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lín yuan siàn yú, bù rú tuèi ér jié wǎng
    • Wade–Giles: lin² yüan¹ hsien⁴ yü², pu⁴ ju² tʻui⁴ êrh² chieh² wang³
    • Yale: lín ywān syàn yú-, bù rú twèi ér jyé wǎng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lin iuan shiann yu, bu ru tuey erl jye woang
    • Palladius: линь юань сянь юй, бу жу туй эр цзе ван (linʹ juanʹ sjanʹ juj, bu žu tuj er cze van)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin³⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ y³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Proverb

臨淵羨魚，不如退而結網

1. One should take practical steps to achieve one's aim.