Proverb / Kotowaza
人事を尽くして天命を待つ
Do everything in your power and leave the rest to fate.
Exhaust human effort and wait for heaven's will.
Quick Answer
Do everything in your power and leave the rest to fate.
- Literal Image
- Exhaust human effort and wait for heaven's will.
- How to Use It
- Used when you have done everything possible to prepare for an important event, such as a test, presentation, or surgery, and must now wait for the outcome with peace of mind.
Meaning
This proverb teaches that one should first make every possible effort to achieve a goal. Once all humanly possible actions have been taken, the final outcome is out of one's hands. At that point, you must wait patiently and accept whatever result destiny brings.
Literal Image
Exhaust human effort and wait for heaven's will.
How to Use It
Used when you have done everything possible to prepare for an important event, such as a test, presentation, or surgery, and must now wait for the outcome with peace of mind.
Tone
Encouraging and resolute, can be used to express a sense of calm acceptance after giving one's absolute best.
Examples
試験に向けて寝る間も惜しんで勉強した。あとは人事を尽くして天命を待つのみだ。
I spared no time for sleep to study for the exam. Now, all I can do is do my best and leave the rest to fate.
手術は無事に成功し、あとは患者の生命力を信じて、人事を尽くして天命を待つ心境です。
The surgery was a success; now, believing in the patient's vitality, we are in a state of mind of having done everything possible and leaving the rest to heaven.
プレゼンの準備に漏れはない。人事を尽くして天命を待つ気持ちで本番に挑もう。
There are no omissions in our presentation preparation. Let's face the actual event with the feeling of having done all we can and leaving the outcome to fate.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses standard grammatical structures, but features advanced vocabulary such as 'tenmei' (heaven's will).
人事
じんじ / jinji
human affairs; human effort
尽くして
つくして / tsukushite
exhausting; devoting (from tsukusu)
天命
てんめい / tenmei
heaven's will; fate; destiny
待つ
まつ / matsu
to wait
Usage Profile
Misread Risk
Do not use this to justify inaction or giving up early; it specifically applies only after you have genuinely exhausted every possible effort.
Search As
Related Proverbs
Origin
This proverb originates from the phrase "人事を尽くして天命に聴す" found in the Dushi Guanjian (読史管見), written by the Southern Song dynasty Confucian scholar Hu Yin (胡寅). It originally taught the nobility of giving your absolute best effort, even in a world where doing your best does not always guarantee the desired result.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.