諺語 · a single proverb
前事不忘，後事之師
What does 前事不忘，後事之師 (qián shì bù wàng hòu shì zhī shī) mean?
前事不忘，後事之師 (qián shì bù wàng hòu shì zhī shī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "not forgetting past matters, they become the teacher of future matters." In use it means: Learn from the past; past experience, not forgotten, is a guide for the future. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "not forgetting past matters, they become the teacher of future matters."
The reading
The past that is kept in mind does not repeat itself as blindly as the past that is released from memory. Experience that is examined becomes instruction; experience that is merely lived through and then let go becomes the setup for the next repetition. Keep what happened close enough to be consulted. Memory is the teacher that requires the fewest credentials.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Warring States 戰國策·趙策一 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Zhao Strategies I)
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 前事不忘，後事之師 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 前事不忘，後事之師 (qián shì bù wàng hòu shì zhī shī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Warring States 戰國策·趙策一 (Zhàn Guó Cè, Zhao Strategies I). 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 前事不忘，後事之師?
In Mandarin it is qián shì bù wàng hòu shì zhī shī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 前事不忘，後事之師 aloud in Mandarin.