諺語 · a single proverb

天tiān下xià無wú難nán事shì，只zhǐ怕pà有yǒu心xīn人rén

Simplified: 天下无难事，只怕有心人

tiān xià wú nán shì zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén

What does 天下無難事，只怕有心人 (tiān xià wú nán shì zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén) mean?

天下無難事，只怕有心人 (tiān xià wú nán shì zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "under heaven no difficult matters, only fear people with heart." In use it means: Nothing in the world is too difficult for the determined person. 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 Tiger.

Literally: "under heaven no difficult matters, only fear people with heart."

The reading

The obstacle is only absolute to those who have already decided to stop. For the person who has truly decided to move, the thing that seemed impossible begins to reveal its seams, its handles, the place where a shoulder can be applied. Intention is not magic; it is pressure sustained past the point where most people rest.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Qing Dynasty 清·李汝珍《鏡花緣》 (Jìng Huā Yuán, Flowers in the Mirror)

Sits beside

冰非一日之寒

bīng fēi yī rì zhī hán

Nothing reaches its current state overnight.

少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲

shào zhuàng bù nǔ lì lǎo dà tú shāng bēi

Those who do not work hard in youth can only grieve in old age.

日積月累

rì jī yuè lěi

Through daily and monthly accumulation, great things are built.

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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 天下無難事，只怕有心人 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 天下無難事，只怕有心人 (tiān xià wú nán shì zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Qing Dynasty 清·李汝珍《鏡花緣》 (Jìng Huā Yuán, Flowers in the Mirror). 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 天下無難事，只怕有心人?

In Mandarin it is tiān xià wú nán shì zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天下無難事，只怕有心人 aloud in Mandarin.