諺語 · a single proverb
強中更有強中手
Simplified: 强中更有强中手
What does 強中更有強中手 (qiáng zhōng gèng yǒu qiáng zhōng shǒu) mean?
強中更有強中手 (qiáng zhōng gèng yǒu qiáng zhōng shǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "among the strong there is always someone stronger." In use it means: No matter how skilled you are, there is always someone better; maintain humility even at the top. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "among the strong there is always someone stronger."
The reading
You are the best in the room until the room gets bigger. Every champion was once undefeated until they met the person who defeated them. This is not discouraging. It is freeing. If the ceiling is always higher than you think, then you never have to stop climbing.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely cited in wuxia and martial arts literature
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 強中更有強中手 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 強中更有強中手 (qiáng zhōng gèng yǒu qiáng zhōng shǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely cited in wuxia and martial arts literature. 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 強中更有強中手?
In Mandarin it is qiáng zhōng gèng yǒu qiáng zhōng shǒu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 強中更有強中手 aloud in Mandarin.