諺語 · a single proverb
有教無類
Simplified: 有教无类
What does 有教無類 (yǒu jiào wú lèi) mean?
有教無類 (yǒu jiào wú lèi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "In education, there are no class distinctions." In use it means: Education should be available to all, regardless of social standing or background. Confucius opened his school to anyone willing to learn, regardless of birth. 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 Pig.
Literally: "In education, there are no class distinctions.."
The reading
The worth of a student is not stamped at birth but forged through willingness. A society that educates only the privileged starves itself of its deepest talent. The door to learning that opens for everyone opens widest for the nation. No child's curiosity is less valid because of the family they were born into.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Kǒngzǐ (孔子), Lúnyǔ (論語) 15.39
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 有教無類 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 有教無類 (yǒu jiào wú lèi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Kǒngzǐ (孔子), Lúnyǔ (論語) 15.39. 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 有教無類?
In Mandarin it is yǒu jiào wú lèi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 有教無類 aloud in Mandarin.