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天时不如地利

天時不如地利
Tiānshí bù rú dìlì
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 favorable timing is not as good as favorable terrain
  2. 2 timing matters, but position matters more
  3. 3 Mencius's opening on the hierarchy of advantages in war

Examples

HSK 6
做生意也讲究天时不如地利，店铺位置至关重要。
Zuò shēngyi yě jiǎngjiu tiānshí bù rú dìlì, diànpù wèizhi zhìguān-zhòngyào.
In business too, timing matters less than location - store position is critical.
HSK 7-9
天时不如地利，地利不如人和 - 这三句话至今仍受用。
Tiānshí bù rú dìlì, dìlì bù rú rénhé - zhè sān jù huà zhìjīn réng shòuyòng.
'Timing is less than terrain, terrain is less than harmony' - these three lines are still useful today.

Tips

history
From 《孟子·公孙丑下》 (Mencius, 'Gongsun Chou II'): 天时不如地利，地利不如人和 - 'Heaven's timing is less than earth's advantage; earth's advantage is less than human harmony.' Mencius's three-rung argument that political success depends ultimately on popular support, not on cosmic omens or geography. Foundational Confucian statecraft.
usage
Always quoted together with the follow-up 地利不如人和 - the full three-part formula peaks on 人和 ('the concord of people'), which Mencius treats as decisive. 天时 refers to weather/omens/timing; 地利 to terrain/position; 人和 to popular unity.

Stroke Order

天 tiān
时 shí
不 bù
如 rú
地 dì
利 lì