諺語 · a single proverb
天時地利人和
Simplified: 天时地利人和
What does 天時地利人和 (tiān shí dì lì rén hé) mean?
天時地利人和 (tiān shí dì lì rén hé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "heaven's timing, earth's advantage, human harmony." In use it means: The three conditions of success align: the right timing, a favorable place, and united people. 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: "heaven's timing, earth's advantage, human harmony."
The reading
Nothing great stands on timing alone, or place alone, or people alone. It stands where the three lean together, and place is the one you can arrange with your own hands.
The story
This is Mencius, from Gongsun Chou II, where he ranks the three conditions of victory: Heaven's timing is worth less than Earth's advantage, and Earth's advantage is worth less than human harmony. The saying survives as the standard formula for how great outcomes stand only where favorable timing, favorable ground, and united people lean together.
Before you blame bad luck for a stalled plan, audit all three legs. You cannot summon the right hour and you cannot always choose the ground, but human harmony, the people rowing with you, is the leg you can arrange with your own hands, so start there.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子, Gongsun Chou II
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rabbit, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 天時地利人和 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 天時地利人和 (tiān shí dì lì rén hé) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子, Gongsun Chou II. 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 天時地利人和?
In Mandarin it is tiān shí dì lì rén hé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 天時地利人和 aloud in Mandarin.