諺語 · a single proverb
吃一塹，長一智
Simplified: 吃一堑，长一智
What does 吃一塹，長一智 (chī yī qiàn zhǎng yī zhì) mean?
吃一塹，長一智 (chī yī qiàn zhǎng yī zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "eat one pitfall, grow one wisdom." In use it means: Learn from every setback; fall into a pit and gain a lesson. 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 Goat.
Literally: "eat one pitfall, grow one wisdom."
The reading
The pit is the teaching; the falling is the enrollment. No one chooses the curriculum of failure, but those who complete the course come out with something that could not have been acquired from above ground. Every setback is a deposit in the account of knowing.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese proverb (yanyu, common in folk and literary contexts)
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 吃一塹，長一智 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 吃一塹，長一智 (chī yī qiàn zhǎng yī zhì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese proverb (yanyu, common in folk and literary contexts). 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 吃一塹，長一智?
In Mandarin it is chī yī qiàn 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 吃一塹，長一智 aloud in Mandarin.