克己復禮

Chinese

		gram; subdue; to restrain gram; subdue; to restrain; to overcome	6th heavenly stem; self	again; recover; reply to a letter again; recover; reply to a letter; to repeat; to duplicate	gift; propriety; rite
trad. (克己復禮)		克	己	復	禮
simp. (克己复礼)		克	己	复	礼

Etymology

From the Analects:

顏淵問仁。子曰：「克己復禮為仁。一日克己復禮，天下歸仁焉。為仁由己，而由人乎哉？」顏淵曰：「請問其目。」子曰：「非禮勿視，非禮勿聽，非禮勿言，非禮勿動。」顏淵曰：「回雖不敏，請事斯語矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

颜渊问仁。子曰：“克己复礼为仁。一日克己复礼，天下归仁焉。为仁由己，而由人乎哉？”颜渊曰：“请问其目。”子曰：“非礼勿视，非礼勿听，非礼勿言，非礼勿动。”颜渊曰：“回虽不敏，请事斯语矣。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yányuān wèn rén. Zǐyuē: “Kèjǐfùlǐ wèi rén. Yīrì kèjǐfùlǐ, tiānxià guī rén yān. Wèi rén yóu jǐ, ér yóu rén hū zāi?” Yányuān yuē: “Qǐngwèn qí mù.” Zǐyuē: “Fēilǐwùshì, fēilǐwùtīng, fēilǐwùyán, fēilǐwùdòng.” Yányuān yuē: “Huí suī bùmǐn, qǐng shì sī yǔ yǐ.” [Pinyin]

Yan Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, "To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him. Is the practice of perfect virtue from a man himself, or is it from others?" Yan Yuan said, "I beg to ask the steps of that process." The Master replied, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety." Yan Yuan then said, "Though I am deficient in intelligence and vigor, I will make it my business to practice this lesson."

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kèjǐfùlǐ
(Zhuyin): ㄎㄜˋ ㄐㄧˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄌㄧˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hak¹ gei² fuk⁶ lai⁵, haak¹ gei² fuk⁶ lai⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: kèjǐfùlǐ
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄜˋ ㄐㄧˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄌㄧˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: kèjǐfùlǐ
  - Wade–Giles: kʻo⁴-chi³-fu⁴-li³
  - Yale: kè-jǐ-fù-lǐ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kehjiifuhlii
  - Palladius: кэцзифули (kɛczifuli)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɤ⁵¹ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ fu⁵¹ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: hak¹ gei² fuk⁶ lai⁵, haak¹ gei² fuk⁶ lai⁵
  - Yale: hāk géi fuhk láih, hāak géi fuhk láih
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hak⁷ gei² fuk⁹ lai⁵, haak⁷ gei² fuk⁹ lai⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: heg¹ géi² fug⁶ lei⁵, hag¹ géi² fug⁶ lei⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐk̚⁵ kei̯³⁵ fʊk̚² lɐi̯¹³/, /haːk̚⁵ kei̯³⁵ fʊk̚² lɐi̯¹³/

Idiom

克己復禮

to subdue oneself and return to propriety