諺語 · a single proverb
學無止境
Simplified: 学无止境
What does 學無止境 (xué wú zhǐ jìng) mean?
學無止境 (xué wú zhǐ jìng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "learning has no stopping point." In use it means: Learning has no end; there is always more to know and understand. 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: "learning has no stopping point."
The reading
The one who says they have finished learning has confused a plateau with a summit. Every answer opens a corridor of further questions, and the corridor has no back wall. This is not exhausting but orienting: the direction is always forward, and the life spent in learning is always, by definition, unfinished and therefore alive.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese saying (common in educational and philosophical contexts)
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 Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 學無止境 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 學無止境 (xué wú zhǐ jìng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese saying (common in educational and philosophical contexts). 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 學無止境?
In Mandarin it is xué wú zhǐ jìng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 學無止境 aloud in Mandarin.