君子は器ならず
Japanese
| Kanji in this term | ||
|---|---|---|
| 君 | 子 | 器 |
| くん Grade: 3 | し Grade: 1 | き Grade: 4 |
Etymology
From Middle Chinese: 君子不器
Proverb
君子は器ならず (hiragana くんしはきならず, rōmaji kunshi wa ki narazu)
- A gentleman is no specialist. That is, unlike a tool fashioned for a specific purpose, a gentleman is well-rounded, someone who has talents suited to any task.
References
- The Kōjien (広辞苑) Dictionary of the Japanese Language, 5th edition, Iwanami Shoten Publishing, Tokyo.