諺語 · a single proverb
矛盾
What does 矛盾 (máo dùn) mean?
矛盾 (máo dùn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "spear shield." In use it means: A contradiction; an irreconcilable conflict. 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 Goat.
Literally: "spear shield."
The reading
The spear that can pierce anything and the shield that nothing can pierce cannot exist in the same world, and the merchant who sold both learned this lesson at his own expense. Some claims cannot both be true, and the recognition of contradiction is the beginning of honest thinking. Name the conflict and you have already half-resolved it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Feizi 韓非子·難一 (Nán Yī chapter)
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 Goat, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 矛盾 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 矛盾 (máo dùn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Feizi 韓非子·難一 (Nán Yī chapter). 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 矛盾?
In Mandarin it is máo dùn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 矛盾 aloud in Mandarin.