諺語 · a single proverb
人無恆心，不可做商
Simplified: 人无恒心，不可做商
What does 人無恆心，不可做商 (rén wú héng xīn, bù kě zuò shāng) mean?
人無恆心，不可做商 (rén wú héng xīn, bù kě zuò shāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "A person without perseverance cannot do business." In use it means: Commerce requires steady, long-term commitment. Those who lack patience and consistency are unsuited to the demands of trade. 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 Ox.
Literally: "A person without perseverance cannot do business.."
The reading
The first year of any business is a test of endurance disguised as a test of skill. Markets have seasons, and the merchant who panics in winter will never harvest in spring. Consistency, not brilliance, is what separates the shops that last decades from those that close in months. Every veteran trader can name the moment they almost quit and the fortune that followed because they did not. Persistence is the most underpriced asset in commerce.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Huizhou merchant teaching (徽商家训), Anhui province
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 人無恆心，不可做商 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人無恆心，不可做商 (rén wú héng xīn, bù kě zuò shāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Huizhou merchant teaching (徽商家训), Anhui province. 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 人無恆心，不可做商?
In Mandarin it is rén wú héng xīn, bù kě zuò shāng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人無恆心，不可做商 aloud in Mandarin.