好生之德

好生之德

Chinese

		good; well; be fond of	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	's; him/her/it; this	Germany; virtue; goodness Germany; virtue; goodness; morality; ethics; kindness; favor; character; kind
trad. (好生之德)		好	生	之	德
simp. #(好生之德)		好	生	之	德

Etymology

From the Forged Old Text of Shangshu:

與其殺不辜，寧失不經，好生之德，洽于民心，茲用不犯于有司。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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与其杀不辜，宁失不经，好生之德，洽于民心，兹用不犯于有司。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Forged Old Text of the Book of Documents, circa 3^rd – 4^th century CE

Yǔqí shā bùgū, níng shī bùjīng, hǎoshēngzhīdé, qià yú mínxīn, zī yòng bù fàn yú yǒusī. [Pinyin]

Rather than put an innocent person to death, you will run the risk of irregularity and error. This life-loving virtue has penetrated the minds of the people, and this is why they do not render themselves liable to be punished by your officers.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): hàoshēngzhīdé

  (Zhuyin): ㄏㄠˋ ㄕㄥ ㄓ ㄉㄜˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hou³ sang¹ zi¹ dak¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: hàoshēngzhīdé
    • Zhuyin: ㄏㄠˋ ㄕㄥ ㄓ ㄉㄜˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: hàoshengjhihdé
    • Wade–Giles: hao⁴-shêng¹-chih¹-tê²
    • Yale: hàu-shēng-jr̄-dé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: hawshengjyder
    • Palladius: хаошэнчжидэ (xaošɛnčžidɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /xɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɤ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: hou³ sang¹ zi¹ dak¹
    • Yale: hou sāng jī dāk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hou³ sang¹ dzi¹ dak⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: hou³ seng¹ ji¹ deg¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hou̯³³ sɐŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tɐk̚⁵/

Idiom

好生之德

1. life-loving virtue; the virtue of cherishing lives and not killing people and animals