以小人之心，度君子之腹

Chinese

		to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.)	scoundrel or villain; person of low position	's; him/her/it; this	heart; mind		capacity; degree; standard	junzi; man of virtue; high-minded person junzi; man of virtue; high-minded person; noble person; superior person	's; him/her/it; this	abdomen; stomach; belly
trad. (以小人之心，度君子之腹)		以	小人	之	心	，	度	君子	之	腹
simp. #(以小人之心，度君子之腹)		以	小人	之	心	，	度	君子	之	腹
Literally: “to gauge the heart of a gentleman with one's own mean measure”.

Etymology

Its form is based on this optative statement by Yan Mo (閻沒) and Ru Kuan (女寬) to Wei Shu (魏舒), to subtly advise him not to take bribes (in Zuozhuan, Zhao 28):

• 願以小人之腹為君子之心，屬厭而已。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

  ---

  愿以小人之腹为君子之心，属厌而已。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

  Yuàn yǐ xiǎorén zhī fù wèi jūnzǐ zhī xīn, shǔ yàn ér yǐ. [Pinyin]

  We wished that the bellies of the lowly could become the heart of the noble man, and that he would stop at what was sufficient.

Its meaning is based on this rhetorical question by Ran Qiu (冉求), who alluded to his - an inferior's - own inability to gauge his superiors' minds, to subtly urge Shusun Zhouchou (叔孫州仇) and Meng Yizi (孟懿子) to fight (in Zuozhuan, Ai 11):

• 君子有遠慮，小人何知？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]

  ---

  君子有远虑，小人何知？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE, translation from Zuozhuan: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" (2017), by Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li and David Schaberg

  Jūnzǐ yǒu yuǎnlǜ, xiǎorén hé zhī? [Pinyin]

  The noble men have far-reaching considerations, but what can a petty man know?

The combination of form (with slight differences) and meaning is attested in a saying attributed to Yu Ai (庾敳) (in A New Account of the Tales of the World):

• 可謂以小人之慮，度君子之心。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

  ---

  可谓以小人之虑，度君子之心。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

  From: Liu Yiqing (editor), A New Account of the Tales of the World, 5^th century CE

  Kěwèi yǐ xiǎorén zhī lǜ, dù jūnzǐ zhī xīn. [Pinyin]

  It can be called measuring a gentleman's heart with a petty man's scheming.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐ xiǎorén zhī xīn, duó jūnzǐ zhī fù

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄣ , ㄉㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄗˇ ㄓ ㄈㄨˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ji⁵ siu² jan⁴ zi¹ sam¹, dok⁶ gwan¹ zi² zi¹ fuk¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐ xiǎorén zhī xīn, duó jūnzǐ zhī fù [Phonetic: yíxiǎorénzhīxīn,duójūnzǐzhīfù]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄣ , ㄉㄨㄛˊ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄗˇ ㄓ ㄈㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐ siǎorén jhih sin, duó jyunzǐh jhih fù
    • Wade–Giles: i³ hsiao³-jên² chih¹ hsin¹, to² chün¹-tzŭ³ chih¹ fu⁴
    • Yale: yǐ syǎu-rén jr̄ syīn-, dwó jyūn-dž jr̄ fù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yii sheauren jy shin, dwo jiuntzyy jy fuh
    • Palladius: и сяожэнь чжи синь, до цзюньцзы чжи фу (i sjaožɛnʹ čži sinʹ, do czjunʹczy čži fu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ tu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕyn⁵⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ fu⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ji⁵ siu² jan⁴ zi¹ sam¹, dok⁶ gwan¹ zi² zi¹ fuk¹
    • Yale: yíh síu yàhn jī sām, dohk gwān jí jī fūk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁵ siu² jan⁴ dzi¹ sam¹, dok⁹ gwan¹ dzi² dzi¹ fuk⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: yi⁵ xiu² yen⁴ ji¹ sem¹, dog⁶ guen¹ ji² ji¹ fug¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː¹³ siːu̯³⁵ jɐn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ tɔːk̚² kʷɐn⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵/

Idiom

以小人之心，度君子之腹

1. to be cynical; to be skeptical of the integrity, sincerity, or motives of others

   • 誰知顏俊以小人之心，度君子之腹？此際便是仇人相見，分外眼睜。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
     谁知颜俊以小人之心，度君子之腹？此际便是仇人相见，分外眼睁。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

     From: Feng Menglong, Stories to Awaken the World, 1627 CE

     Shéi zhī Yán Jùn yǐ xiǎorén zhī xīn, duó jūnzǐ zhī fù? Cǐ jì biànshì chóurén xiàngjiàn, fēnwài yǎnzhēng. [Pinyin]

     Who would've known that Yan Jun would use his own petty measure to gauge the heart of the superior man [Qian Qing]? This occasion was precisely "foes meeting each other with eyes glaring intensely".

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: lấy dạ tiểu nhân đo lòng quân tử (calque)