日月不同光

rì yuè bù tóng guāng

quotation

Meanings

1 sun and moon do not share the same light
2 (fig.) different beings have different natures / talents, each shines in their own way
3 (lit.) sun, moon, not, same, light

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

兄弟二人各有特长，日月不同光，不必互相比较。

Xiōngdì èr rén gè yǒu tècháng, rìyuèbùtóngguāng, bùbì hùxiāng bǐjiào.

The two brothers each have their own strengths - 'sun and moon shine differently'; no need to compare them.

HSK 7-9

每个人的光芒不一样，正如日月不同光。

Měigè rén de guāngmáng bùyī yàng, zhèngrú rìyuèbùtóngguāng.

Everyone's brilliance is different - just as 'sun and moon do not share the same light.'

Tips

history

From 曹植《当欲游南山行》 (Cao Zhi, Three Kingdoms, early 3rd c.): 日月不同光，昼夜各有宜 (Sun and moon do not share one light; day and night each has its own fitting time). Cao Zhi, Cao Cao's gifted son, author of the Seven Steps Poem, uses the cosmic pairing to argue that different natures serve different purposes, a common move in his verse about brotherly rivalry.

usage

Canonically read with the next line 昼夜各有宜 ('day and night each has its proper use'). 光 here = 'luminance / radiance' rather than specifically 'light ray.' Modern quoters typically use it to counsel against invidious comparison.

Stroke Order

日 rì

月 yuè

不 bù

同 tóng

光 guāng