三十而立

Chinese

		thirty; 30	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	set up; to stand
simp. and trad. (三十而立)		三十	而	立

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 2 (《論語·爲政》):

子曰：「吾十有五而志于學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而從心所欲，不踰矩。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子曰：「吾十有五而志于学，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳顺，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐyuē: “Wú shí yòu wǔ ér zhì yú xué, sānshí ér lì, sìshí ér bùhuò, wǔshí ér zhī tiānmìng, liùshí ér ěr shùn, qīshí ér cóng xīn suǒ yù, bù yújǔ.” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sānshí'érlì

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄦˊ ㄌㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ sap⁶ ji⁴ lap⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sānshí'érlì
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄦˊ ㄌㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sanshíh-érlì
    • Wade–Giles: san¹-shih²-êrh²-li⁴
    • Yale: sān-shŕ-ér-lì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sanshyrerllih
    • Palladius: саньшиэрли (sanʹšierli)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ li⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ sap⁶ ji⁴ lap⁶
    • Yale: sāam sahp yìh lahp
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ sap⁹ ji⁴ lap⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ seb⁶ yi⁴ leb⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ sɐp̚² jiː²¹ lɐp̚²/

Idiom

三十而立

1. to become independent at the age of thirty