諺語 · a single proverb
魚與熊掌不可兼得
Simplified: 鱼与熊掌不可兼得
What does 魚與熊掌不可兼得 (yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé) mean?
魚與熊掌不可兼得 (yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "fish and bear's paw cannot both be obtained." In use it means: You cannot have everything; sometimes a choice must be made between two desirable things. 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: "fish and bear's paw cannot both be obtained."
The reading
The table is only so wide, and the greatest meals ask for a decision. To refuse to choose is itself a choice, often the worst one. What we are willing to let go of defines the shape of what we get to keep.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子·告子上 (Gào Zǐ I)
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 Pig, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 魚與熊掌不可兼得 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 魚與熊掌不可兼得 (yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子·告子上 (Gào Zǐ I). 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 魚與熊掌不可兼得?
In Mandarin it is yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 魚與熊掌不可兼得 aloud in Mandarin.