青草池塘处处蛙

青草池塘處處蛙

qīngcǎochítángchùchùwā

phrase

Meanings

1 green grass, pond after pond — frogs calling everywhere
2 (fig.) the lush, humid sound-scape of early summer in Jiangnan
3 (lit.) green-grass pond-pool place-place frog

Characters

pool (池塘 = pond)

place (处处 = everywhere)

Examples

梅雨时节的乡下，真是黄梅时节家家雨，青草池塘处处蛙。

Méiyǔ shíjié de xiāngxià, zhēn shì huángméi shíjié jiā jiā yǔ, qīngcǎo chítáng chùchù wā.

In the plum-rain countryside, truly 'plum season rain at every house, green-grass ponds, frogs at every turn.'

夏夜走进田野，四周青草池塘处处蛙，好不热闹。

Xià yè zǒu jìn tiányě, sìzhōu qīngcǎo chítáng chùchù wā, hǎo bù rènào.

Walking into the fields on a summer night, 'green grass and pond frogs everywhere' — what lively noise.

Tips

history

From 赵师秀《约客》(Zhao Shixiu, 'Waiting for a Guest,' Southern Song, 12th–13th c.): 黄梅时节家家雨，青草池塘处处蛙。有约不来过夜半，闲敲棋子落灯花 (In the plum season it rains at every house; in the green-grass ponds, frogs croak everywhere. The friend who promised to come has not appeared past midnight — I idly tap a chess piece, and the lamp's wick-flower falls). A masterpiece of restrained waiting and quiet sound.

usage

Always quoted with its partner line 黄梅时节家家雨. The couplet is a stock reference for early summer rainy season (梅雨) in southern China.

Stroke Order

青 qīng

草 cǎo

池 chí

塘 táng

处 chù

蛙 wā