諺語 · a single proverb

人rén非fēi聖shèng賢xián，孰shú能néng無wú過guò

Simplified: 人非圣贤，孰能无过

rén fēi shèng xián shú néng wú guò

What does 人非聖賢，孰能無過 (rén fēi shèng xián shú néng wú guò) mean?

人非聖賢，孰能無過 (rén fēi shèng xián shú néng wú guò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "no one is a sage; who can be without fault." In use it means: Everyone makes mistakes; perfection is not a human condition. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.

Literally: "no one is a sage; who can be without fault."

The reading

The person who has never been wrong has never been tested. Error is not the opposite of wisdom. It is the entrance fee. What matters is not the fall but the specific way you get up and what you carry out of it.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Zuozhuan 左傳, Xuan Gong 宣公二年

Sits beside

冰清玉潔

bīng qīng yù jié

Spotless and pure character.

張三李四

zhāng sān lǐ sì

Any random person.

忙中不忘善

máng zhōng bù wàng shàn

Even in the middle of busy activity, do not forget to act with kindness.

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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 人非聖賢，孰能無過 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 人非聖賢，孰能無過 (rén fēi shèng xián shú néng wú guò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Zuozhuan 左傳, Xuan Gong 宣公二年. 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 人非聖賢，孰能無過?

In Mandarin it is rén fēi shèng xián shú néng wú guò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人非聖賢，孰能無過 aloud in Mandarin.