諺語 · a single proverb
學然後知不足
Simplified: 学然后知不足
What does 學然後知不足 (xué rán hòu zhī bù zú) mean?
學然後知不足 (xué rán hòu zhī bù zú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "study then know insufficiency." In use it means: Only after studying do you realize how much you still lack; learning reveals ignorance. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "study then know insufficiency."
The reading
The great paradox of study: the more you learn, the larger the unknown becomes. The beginner's ignorance is simple; the advanced student's ignorance is mapped and intricate, a more detailed picture of what remains. This is progress-not the elimination of the unknown but its clarification and expansion. The wise student is always discovering new ways they need to learn more.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Li Ji 禮記·學記 (Xué Jì, Record of Learning)
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 Rabbit, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 學然後知不足 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 學然後知不足 (xué rán hòu zhī bù zú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Li Ji 禮記·學記 (Xué Jì, Record of Learning). 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 學然後知不足?
In Mandarin it is xué rán hòu zhī bù zú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 學然後知不足 aloud in Mandarin.