諺語 · a single proverb
天生我材必有用
What does 天生我材必有用 (tiān shēng wǒ cái bì yǒu yòng) mean?
天生我材必有用 (tiān shēng wǒ cái bì yǒu yòng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "heaven gave birth to my talents; they must have a use." In use it means: Everyone is born with something the world needs. Your job is to find what it is, not to doubt whether it exists. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "heaven gave birth to my talents; they must have a use."
The reading
The person who thinks they have nothing to offer has not looked hard enough or has been looking at the wrong list. Every ability has a room where it is the most useful thing present. The search is not whether you have something. It is which room to walk into.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Li Bai 李白, 將進酒 (Tang dynasty)
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 天生我材必有用 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天生我材必有用 (tiān shēng wǒ cái bì yǒu yòng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Li Bai 李白, 將進酒 (Tang dynasty). 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 天生我材必有用?
In Mandarin it is tiān shēng wǒ cái bì yǒu yòng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天生我材必有用 aloud in Mandarin.