諺語 · a single proverb
不經一事，不長一智
Simplified: 不经一事，不长一智
What does 不經一事，不長一智 (bù jīng yī shì bù zhǎng yī zhì) mean?
不經一事，不長一智 (bù jīng yī shì bù zhǎng yī zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "not pass through one matter, not grow one wisdom." In use it means: Without experience, there is no growth in wisdom. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "not pass through one matter, not grow one wisdom."
The reading
Every ordeal is a private tutor arriving uninvited. The lesson would be refused if it came politely announced, so it comes as trouble. Afterward, if you are paying attention, you find you know something you did not know before and cannot say when the teaching happened.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Qing Dynasty 清·曹雪芹《紅樓夢》 (Hóng Lóu Mèng, Dream of the Red Chamber)
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 Snake, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 不經一事，不長一智 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不經一事，不長一智 (bù jīng yī shì bù zhǎng yī zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Qing Dynasty 清·曹雪芹《紅樓夢》 (Hóng Lóu Mèng, Dream of the Red Chamber). 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 不經一事，不長一智?
In Mandarin it is bù jīng yī shì 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 不經一事，不長一智 aloud in Mandarin.