諺語 · a single proverb
山外有山，天外有天
What does 山外有山，天外有天 (shān wài yǒu shān tiān wài yǒu tiān) mean?
山外有山，天外有天 (shān wài yǒu shān tiān wài yǒu tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "beyond the mountain are more mountains; beyond the sky is more sky." In use it means: No matter how far you have come, there is always more beyond; humility comes from recognizing the limitless. 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 Monkey.
Literally: "beyond the mountain are more mountains; beyond the sky is more sky."
The reading
You reached the summit and saw another summit. You thought the sky ended and found more sky behind it. The feeling is not defeat. It is expansion. The universe is larger than your current view of it, and every new summit is a wider view, not a finish line.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; martial arts and scholarly tradition
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 Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 山外有山，天外有天 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 山外有山，天外有天 (shān wài yǒu shān tiān wài yǒu tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; martial arts and scholarly 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 山外有山，天外有天?
In Mandarin it is shān wài yǒu shān tiān wài yǒu tiān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 山外有山，天外有天 aloud in Mandarin.