諺語 · a single proverb
金無足金，人無完人
Simplified: 金无足金，人无完人
What does 金無足金，人無完人 (jīn wú zú jīn rén wú wán rén) mean?
金無足金，人無完人 (jīn wú zú jīn rén wú wán rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "gold has no pure gold, person has no perfect person." In use it means: No gold is perfectly pure, no person is perfectly flawless; perfection is unattainable. 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 Ox.
Literally: "gold has no pure gold, person has no perfect person."
The reading
The jeweler who rejects all gold less than one hundred percent pure will have no gold and no jewelry. Imperfection is not a flaw in the design; it is the design. What we ask of gold and of people is not perfect purity but genuine value, and the two are different requirements entirely.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu)
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 金無足金，人無完人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 金無足金，人無完人 (jīn wú zú jīn rén wú wán rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu). 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 金無足金，人無完人?
In Mandarin it is jīn wú zú jīn rén wú wán rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 金無足金，人無完人 aloud in Mandarin.