Chinese Myth

鲤鱼跃龙门🔊

Lǐ Yú Yuè Lóng Mén
📚 Myths⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This myth tells of carp leaping over the Dragon Gate to become dragons.

The Story 🔊

Huánghé zhōng yǒu yí zuò lóngmén
黄河Huánghé🔊zhōng🔊yǒu🔊一座yí zuò🔊龙门lóngmén🔊
Jùshuō lǐyú tiào guò lóngmén jiù néng biàn chéng lóng
据说Jùshuō🔊鲤鱼lǐyú🔊跳过tiào guò🔊龙门lóngmén🔊就能jiù néng🔊变成biàn chéng🔊lóng🔊
Wúshù lǐyú nìliú ér shàng xiǎng yào tiào guò lóngmén
无数Wúshù🔊鲤鱼lǐyú🔊逆流而上nìliú ér shàng🔊想要xiǎng yào🔊跳过tiào guò🔊龙门lóngmén🔊
Dàduōshù dōu shībài le zhǐyǒu shǎoshù chénggōng
大多数Dàduōshù🔊dōu🔊失败了shībài le🔊只有zhǐyǒu🔊少数shǎoshù🔊成功chénggōng🔊
Chénggōng de lǐyú zài kōngzhōng huà wéi jùlóng téngyún-jiàwù ér qù
成功Chénggōng🔊de🔊鲤鱼lǐyú🔊zài🔊空中kōngzhōng🔊化为huà wéi🔊巨龙jùlóng🔊腾云驾雾téngyún-jiàwù🔊而去ér qù🔊
English Translation:
There is a Dragon Gate in the Yellow River. It is said that carp that leap over the Dragon Gate can transform into dragons. Countless carp swim upstream, wanting to leap over the Dragon Gate. Most fail, and only a few succeed. The successful carp transform into great dragons in the sky, riding clouds and mist away.

Key Vocabulary

鲤鱼跃龙门
lǐ yú yuè lóng mén
carp leaps over Dragon Gate
鲤鱼
lǐyú
carp
龙门
lóngmén
Dragon Gate
逆流而上
nìliú ér shàng
swim upstream
巨龙
jùlóng
great dragon
腾云驾雾
téngyún-jiàwù
ride clouds and mist

The Moral

Hard work and perseverance lead to transformation! This idiom means achieving great success through great effort.

Cultural Insight

鲤鱼跃龙门 is recorded in "Sanqin Ji" (三秦记) and symbolizes passing the imperial examinations.