諺語 · a single proverb
不吃一塹，不長一智
Simplified: 不吃一堑，不长一智
What does 不吃一塹，不長一智 (bù chī yī qiàn bù zhǎng yī zhì) mean?
不吃一塹，不長一智 (bù chī yī qiàn bù zhǎng yī zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "without falling into a pit, one does not gain a lesson." In use it means: Mistakes are the raw material of wisdom; you cannot learn certain things without experiencing failure firsthand. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "without falling into a pit, one does not gain a lesson."
The reading
The textbook warns you about the pit. The experienced person fell into it. They learned something in the fall that the textbook could not teach: what the dark looks like from inside, and how your hands find the wall. Some knowledge requires the bruise.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; also in various Ming/Qing collections
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 不吃一塹，不長一智 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不吃一塹，不長一智 (bù chī yī qiàn bù zhǎng yī zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; also in various Ming/Qing collections. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 不吃一塹，不長一智?
In Mandarin it is bù chī yī qiàn bù zhǎng yī zhì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不吃一塹，不長一智 aloud in Mandarin.