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等闲识得东风面

等閒識得東風面
Děngxián shí dé dōngfēng miàn
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 with ease one recognizes the face of the east wind
  2. 2 spring is easy to recognize once you see it
  3. 3 line by Zhu Xi often read as an allegory for grasping truth

Examples

HSK 6
科研突破后再看数据，等闲识得东风面。
Kēyán tūpò hòu zài kàn shùjù, děngxiánshídédōngfēngmiàn.
After a research breakthrough, looking at the data again - one easily recognizes the face of the east wind.
HSK 7-9
等闲识得东风面，万紫千红总是春，读书久了才懂这境界。
Děngxiánshídédōngfēngmiàn, wànzǐqiānhóngzǒngshìchūn, dúshū jiǔ le cái dǒng zhè jìngjiè.
'With ease we know spring's face - every hue is spring.' Only after long reading does one grasp this state.

Tips

history
From Zhu Xi's Southern Song poem 春日 ("Spring Day"): the full quatrain ends 等闲识得东风面，万紫千红总是春. On the surface it records a spring outing, but it reads truth through scenery: once you recognize the 东风 (the east wind, standing for the Confucian way), the wisdom of the sages is everywhere. It reflects the Neo-Confucian ideal of investigating things to extend knowledge.
usage
Usually paired with the following line 万紫千红总是春. Here 等闲 means "easily" or "casually". It can be used literally of a spring scene, or figuratively for the sudden clarity that comes once you grasp the essentials of something.

Stroke Order

等 děng
闲 xián
识 shí
得 de
东 dōng
风 fēng
面 miàn