Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 金无足赤，人无完人
Traditional: 金無足赤，人無完人
Pinyin: jīn wú zú chì, rén wú wán rén
Literal translation
No gold is completely pure; no person is completely perfect.
Natural English meaning
Everyone has limitations, so perfection is an unrealistic standard.
Closest English equivalent
Nobody is perfect.
The Chinese proverb pairs human imperfection with the impurity of even valuable gold.
When to use it
Use it to encourage realistic, compassionate judgment.
When not to use it
Imperfection should not excuse avoidable harm or refusal to improve.
Example sentence
他有缺点，但金无足赤，人无完人。
He has faults, but no person is perfect.
Origin and cultural context
A traditional saying popularized through poetry and later everyday use.
Classification: proverb. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
