文質彬彬

See also: 文质彬彬

Chinese

		language; culture; writing language; culture; writing; formal; literary; gentle	hostage; substance; nature hostage; substance; nature; quality	refined, gentle and elegant; having both literary flourish and substance
trad. (文質彬彬)		文	質	彬彬
simp. (文质彬彬)		文	质	彬彬

Etymology

From the Analects

子曰：「質勝文則野，文勝質則史。文質彬彬，然後君子。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

子曰：“质胜文则野，文胜质则史。文质彬彬，然后君子。” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐyuē: “Zhì shèng wén zé yě, wén shèng zhì zé shǐ. Wén zhì bīnbīn, ránhòu jūnzǐ.” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "Where the solid qualities are in excess of accomplishments, we have rusticity; where the accomplishments are in excess of the solid qualities, we have the manners of a clerk. When the accomplishments and solid qualities are equally blended, we then have the man of virtue."

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): wénzhìbīnbīn, wénzhíbīnbīn
(Zhuyin): ㄨㄣˊ ㄓˋ ㄅㄧㄣㄅㄧㄣ, ㄨㄣˊ ㄓˊ ㄅㄧㄣㄅㄧㄣ
Cantonese (Jyutping): man⁴ zat¹ ban¹ ban¹
Hakka (Sixian, PFS): vùn-chṳt-pîn-pîn

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wénzhìbīnbīn
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄣˊ ㄓˋ ㄅㄧㄣㄅㄧㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wúnjhìhbinbin
  - Wade–Giles: wên²-chih⁴-pin¹-pin¹
  - Yale: wén-jr̀-bīn-bīn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wenjyhbinbin
  - Palladius: вэньчжибиньбинь (vɛnʹčžibinʹbinʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ pin⁵⁵ pin⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: wénzhíbīnbīn
  - Zhuyin: ㄨㄣˊ ㄓˊ ㄅㄧㄣㄅㄧㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: wúnjhíhbinbin
  - Wade–Giles: wên²-chih²-pin¹-pin¹
  - Yale: wén-jŕ-bīn-bīn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wenjyrbinbin
  - Palladius: вэньчжибиньбинь (vɛnʹčžibinʹbinʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /wən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ pin⁵⁵ pin⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: man⁴ zat¹ ban¹ ban¹
  - Yale: màhn jāt bān bān
  - Cantonese Pinyin: man⁴ dzat⁷ ban¹ ban¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: men⁴ zed¹ ben¹ ben¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐn²¹ t͡sɐt̚⁵ pɐn⁵⁵ pɐn⁵⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: vùn-chṳt-pîn-pîn
  - Hakka Romanization System: vunˇ ziid` bin´ bin´
  - Hagfa Pinyim: vun² zid⁵ bin¹ bin¹
  - Sinological IPA: /vun¹¹ t͡sɨt̚² pin²⁴⁻¹¹ pin²⁴/

Idiom

文質彬彬

gentle; refined in manner
(literary, originally) well balanced between literary talent and simplicity; displaying literary talent yet not frivolous

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (文質彬彬):

→ Japanese: 文質彬彬(ぶんしつひんぴん) (bunshitsu hinpin)
→ Korean: 문질빈빈(文質彬彬) (munjilbinbin)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
文	質	彬	彬
ぶん Grade: 1	しつ Grade: 5	ひん Jinmeiyō	ひん > ぴん Jinmeiyō
kan’on

Etymology

From the Analects of Confucius.[1][2][3]

Analyzable as 文質 (bunshitsu, “civilized sophistication and simplicity”) + 彬彬 (hinpin, “harmonized, well-proportioned, well-balanced”).

Pronunciation

On’yomi: Kan’on

(Tokyo) ぶんしつひんぴん [bùńshítsú híꜜǹpìǹ] (Nakadaka – [5])[2]
IPA^(key): [bɯ̟̃ᵝɰ̃ɕit͡sɨᵝ çĩmpʲĩɴ]

Idiom

文(ぶん)質(しつ)彬(ひん)彬(ぴん) • (bunshitsu hinpin)

the outer beauty and the inner quality are well-harmonized

Adjective

文(ぶん)質(しつ)彬(ひん)彬(ぴん) • (bunshitsu hinpin) ^†-tari (adnominal 文(ぶん)質(しつ)彬(ひん)彬(ぴん)たる (bunshitsu hinpin taru), adverbial 文(ぶん)質(しつ)彬(ひん)彬(ぴん)と (bunshitsu hinpin to) or 文(ぶん)質(しつ)彬(ひん)彬(ぴん)として (bunshitsu hinpin to shite))

refined in manner, exhibiting a balance between civilized sophistication and simplicity

Conjugation

Classical conjugation of "文質彬彬たり" (タリ活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	文質彬彬たら	ぶんしつひんぴんたら	bunsitu finpintara
Continuative (連用形)	文質彬彬と^[1] 文質彬彬たり^[2]	ぶんしつひんぴんとぶんしつひんぴんたり	bunsitu finpinto bunsitu finpintari
Terminal (終止形)	文質彬彬たり	ぶんしつひんぴんたり	bunsitu finpintari
Attributive (連体形)	文質彬彬たる	ぶんしつひんぴんたる	bunsitu finpintaru
Realis (已然形)	文質彬彬たれ	ぶんしつひんぴんたれ	bunsitu finpintare
Imperative (命令形)	文質彬彬たれ	ぶんしつひんぴんたれ	bunsitu finpintare
Key constructions
Negative	文質彬彬たらず	ぶんしつひんぴんたらず	bunsitu finpintarazu
Contrasting conjunction	文質彬彬たれど	ぶんしつひんぴんたれど	bunsitu finpintaredo
Causal conjunction	文質彬彬たれば	ぶんしつひんぴんたれば	bunsitu finpintareba
Conditional conjunction	文質彬彬たらば	ぶんしつひんぴんたらば	bunsitu finpintaraba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	文質彬彬たりき	ぶんしつひんぴんたりき	bunsitu finpintariki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	文質彬彬たりけり	ぶんしつひんぴんたりけり	bunsitu finpintarikeri
Adverbial	文質彬彬と	ぶんしつひんぴんと	bunsitu finpinto
^[1]Without auxiliary verb. ^[2]With auxiliary verb.

References

1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

Korean

Hanja in this term
文	質	彬	彬

Noun

文質彬彬 • (munjilbinbin) (hangeul 문질빈빈)

Hanja form^? of 문질빈빈 (“the outer beauty and the inner quality are well-harmonized”).

[1] 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-3] 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan