諺語 · a single proverb
刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後
Simplified: 刀不磨要生锈，人不学要落后
What does 刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後 (dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù, rén bù xué yào luò hòu) mean?
刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後 (dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù, rén bù xué yào luò hòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a blade unsharpened will rust, a person unlearning will fall behind." In use it means: Skills and knowledge require constant maintenance; neglect leads to decline. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "a blade unsharpened will rust, a person unlearning will fall behind."
The reading
The blade does not rust out of spite. It rusts because no one used it. The mind works the same way. What you do not exercise, you lose. Not dramatically, not all at once, but steadily, like iron returning to ore. The maintenance is not optional. It is the price of staying sharp.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Folk educational proverb, common in Chinese schools
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 Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後 (dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù, rén bù xué yào luò hòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Folk educational proverb, common in Chinese schools. 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 刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後?
In Mandarin it is dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù, rén bù xué yào luò hòu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 刀不磨要生銹，人不學要落後 aloud in Mandarin.