令行禁止

Chinese

		make or cause to be; order; command make or cause to be; order; command; decree; honourable	to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional	to prohibit; to forbid; endure	to stop; prohibit; till
trad. (令行禁止)		令	行	禁	止
simp. ^#(令行禁止)		令	行	禁	止

Etymology

令則行，禁則止。憲之所及，俗之所被，如百體之從心，政之所期也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

令则行，禁则止。宪之所及，俗之所被，如百体之从心，政之所期也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Guanzi, 5^th century BCE to 220 CE

Lìng zé xíng, jìn zé zhǐ. Xiàn zhī suǒjí, sú zhī suǒ bèi, rú bǎitǐ zhī cóng xīn, zhèng zhī suǒ qī yě. [Pinyin]

If there is an order, carry it out. If there is a prohibition on something, stop doing it. Wherever the laws and customs reach should [accept and abide by them,] just like how one's organs follow their heart, which is what politicians expect.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): lìngxíngjìnzhǐ

(Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ling⁶ hang⁴ gam³ zi²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: lìngxíngjìnzhǐ
  - Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: lìngsíngjìnjhǐh
  - Wade–Giles: ling⁴-hsing²-chin⁴-chih³
  - Yale: lìng-syíng-jìn-jř
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linqshyngjinnjyy
  - Palladius: линсинцзиньчжи (linsinczinʹčži)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /liŋ⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: ling⁶ hang⁴ gam³ zi²
  - Yale: lihng hàhng gam jí
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ling⁶ hang⁴ gam³ dzi²
  - Guangdong Romanization: ling⁶ heng⁴ gem³ ji²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɪŋ²² hɐŋ²¹ kɐm³³ t͡siː³⁵/

Idiom

令行禁止

to carry out orders and proclaim prohibitions; to abide by orders