君子不器
Chinese
junzi; man of virtue; high-minded person junzi; man of virtue; high-minded person; noble person; superior person | not; no | device; tool; utensil | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
trad. (君子不器) | 君子 | 不 | 器 | |
simp. #(君子不器) | 君子 | 不 | 器 |
Etymology
From the Analects:
- 子曰:「君子不器。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Zǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐbùqì.” [Pinyin]
- The Master said, "The accomplished scholar is not a utensil."
子曰:“君子不器。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation
Proverb
君子不器
- A gentleman is no specialist; Unlike a tool fashioned for a specific purpose, a gentleman is well-rounded, someone who has talents suited to any task.
Descendants
Sino-Xenic (君子不器):
- → Korean: 군자불기(君子不器) (gunjabulgi)
- → Vietnamese: quân tử bất khí (君子不器)
Others:
- → Japanese: 君子は器ならず (kunshi wa ki narazu) (calque)