諺語 · a single proverb
山外有山
What does 山外有山 (shān wài yǒu shān) mean?
山外有山 (shān wài yǒu shān) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "beyond the mountain there is another mountain." In use it means: There is always more. The peak you climbed reveals a higher peak behind it. This is either exhausting or exciting, depending on your relationship with the climb. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "beyond the mountain there is another mountain."
The reading
You reached the summit. You looked up. There was another summit. This is the structure of every field, every skill, every relationship: the arrival reveals the next departure. The person who finds this depressing is chasing an endpoint. The person who finds this energizing is chasing the climbing itself.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; resonance with 人外有人 tradition
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 山外有山 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 山外有山 (shān wài yǒu shān) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; resonance with 人外有人 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?
In Mandarin it is shān wài yǒu shān. 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 aloud in Mandarin.