諺語 · a single proverb
學海無涯
Simplified: 学海无涯
What does 學海無涯 (xué hǎi wú yá) mean?
學海無涯 (xué hǎi wú yá) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the sea of learning has no shore." In use it means: Knowledge is infinite; no matter how much you learn, there is always more waiting beyond the horizon. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "the sea of learning has no shore."
The reading
You thought you were close to the edge. Then the edge moved. It always moves, because the sea is adding water faster than you can swim. This is not discouraging if you accept one thing: the goal was never to reach the shore. The goal was to swim.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuangzi 莊子; Han Yu 韓愈, Jin Xue Jie 進學解
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 學海無涯 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 學海無涯 (xué hǎi wú yá) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Zhuangzi 莊子; Han Yu 韓愈, Jin Xue Jie 進學解. 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 學海無涯?
In Mandarin it is xué hǎi wú yá. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 學海無涯 aloud in Mandarin.