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盡人事，聽天命. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
盡人事，聽天命, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
盡人事，聽天命 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
盡人事，聽天命 you have here. The definition of the word
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盡人事，聽天命, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
From Flowers in the Mirror (鏡花緣) by 李汝珍 (Li Ruzhen):
元女道：「仙姑豈不聞『小不忍則亂大謀』？又諺云：『盡人事以聽天命。』今仙姑既不能忍，又人事未盡，以致如此，何能言得天命？」
元女道：「仙姑岂不闻『小不忍则乱大谋』？又谚云：『尽人事以听天命。』今仙姑既不能忍，又人事未尽，以致如此，何能言得天命？」 - From: 李汝珍, 《鏡花緣》
- Yuánnǚ dào: “Xiāngū qǐ bù wén ‘xiǎobùrěnzéluàndàmóu’? Yòu yàn yún: ‘Jìn rénshì yǐ tīng tiānmìng.’ Jīn xiāngū jì bùnéng rěn, yòu rénshì wèi jìn, yǐzhì rúcǐ, hé néng yán dé tiānmìng?”
- Xuannü said: "Haven't you heard that 'lack of forbearance in small matters upsets great plans'? And there is also an idiom saying 'man proposes, God disposes'. But you neither forbear, nor propose. That being so, how can you say that's what God disposes?"
Pronunciation
Idiom
盡人事，聽天命
- to do one's level best and leave the rest to God's will; man proposes, God disposes
Synonyms
Descendants
- → Japanese: 人事を尽くして天命を待つ (jinji o tsukushite tenmei o matsu) (partial calque)