諺語 · a single proverb
人算不如天算
What does 人算不如天算 (rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn) mean?
人算不如天算 (rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "human calculation is not as good as heaven's calculation." In use it means: No matter how carefully you plan, the universe has its own arithmetic. The best-laid schemes still answer to forces beyond the planner's control. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "human calculation is not as good as heaven's calculation."
The reading
You planned for rain and it snowed. You planned for snow and it was sunny. You planned for everything and the one thing you did not plan for is the one thing that happened. Planning is essential and insufficient. Essential because it prepares your muscles. Insufficient because the script is not yours to write.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; Daoist philosophical tradition
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人算不如天算 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人算不如天算 (rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; Daoist philosophical tradition. 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 人算不如天算?
In Mandarin it is rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人算不如天算 aloud in Mandarin.