諺語 · a single proverb
有眼不識泰山
Simplified: 有眼不识泰山
What does 有眼不識泰山 (yǒu yǎn bù shí Tài Shān) mean?
有眼不識泰山 (yǒu yǎn bù shí Tài Shān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai." In use it means: To be blind to greatness or importance standing right in front of you. A failure of perception, not of sight. 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 Dog.
Literally: "Have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai.."
The reading
The most humbling mistakes are not the ones born of ignorance but of arrogance. When you assume you already know what matters, the extraordinary passes through your gaze unnoticed. Mount Tai does not shrink because someone fails to see it; the smallness belongs entirely to the viewer. Recognizing worth requires a willingness to be surprised. The eyes see what the mind is prepared to respect.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional saying, associated with Lǔ Bān (鲁班) legends, Ming Dynasty compilations
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 有眼不識泰山 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 有眼不識泰山 (yǒu yǎn bù shí Tài Shān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional saying, associated with Lǔ Bān (鲁班) legends, Ming Dynasty compilations. 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 有眼不識泰山?
In Mandarin it is yǒu yǎn bù shí Tài Shān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 有眼不識泰山 aloud in Mandarin.