諺語 · a single proverb
天外有天
What does 天外有天 (tiān wài yǒu tiān) mean?
天外有天 (tiān wài yǒu tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "beyond the sky there is another sky." In use it means: There is always a higher level; no matter how much you know, there is more above. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "beyond the sky there is another sky."
The reading
The sky seems infinite until you learn that beyond it lies another, and beyond that, another. Every ceiling becomes a floor when you gain enough altitude to see past it. This is the most encouraging fact in the universe: you will never run out of room to grow. The sky is not the limit. It is the starting point.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; often paired with 山外有山
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 天外有天 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天外有天 (tiān wài yǒu tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; often paired with 山外有山. 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 天外有天?
In Mandarin it is 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 天外有天 aloud in Mandarin.