諺語 · a single proverb
沒有過不去的坎
Simplified: 没有过不去的坎
What does 沒有過不去的坎 (méi yǒu guò bù qù de kǎn) mean?
沒有過不去的坎 (méi yǒu guò bù qù de kǎn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "there is no threshold you cannot cross." In use it means: No obstacle is permanently impassable; every difficulty can be overcome with enough time and effort. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "there is no threshold you cannot cross."
The reading
The threshold looks permanent from this side. Everything looks permanent from the side you have not crossed yet. But people cross thresholds every day, including ones that looked identical to yours, and the universal report from the other side is: it was possible. It was always possible.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk expression; modern vernacular proverb
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 沒有過不去的坎 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 沒有過不去的坎 (méi yǒu guò bù qù de kǎn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common folk expression; modern vernacular proverb. 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 沒有過不去的坎?
In Mandarin it is méi yǒu guò bù qù de kǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 沒有過不去的坎 aloud in Mandarin.