东风化雨

Pronunciation: dōng fēng huà yǔ Literal meaning: East wind transforms rain

Origin & Usage

This belongs to the Mencius, which counts among a teacher's modes the one who transforms a student as a timely rain does — the spring wind and the rain that transforms (化雨). The usual form is 春风化雨; 东风化雨 substitutes the east wind (东风), which in the Chinese calendar is the spring wind, so the two say the same thing. Nothing is forced: the growth is the student's own and the teacher supplies the conditions. It is reserved for education rather than influence in general, and it is what former students reach for years afterwards, about the teacher who changed them without ever appearing to try.

Examples

English: "The favorable conditions helped the project flourish, much like the east wind bringing nourishing rain."

Chinese: 有了东风化雨的支持，这个项目蓬勃发展。