以德報德

Chinese

		to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.)	Germany; virtue; goodness Germany; virtue; goodness; morality; ethics; kindness; favour; character; kind	to announce; to inform; report to announce; to inform; report; newspaper; to repay; to recompense; revenge	Germany; virtue; goodness Germany; virtue; goodness; morality; ethics; kindness; favour; character; kind
trad. (以德報德)		以	德	報	德
simp. (以德报德)		以	德	报	德

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 14 (《論語·憲問》):

或曰：「以德報怨，何如？」子曰：「何以報德？以直報怨，以德報德。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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或曰：「以德报怨，何如？」子曰：「何以报德？以直报怨，以德报德。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Huòyuē: “Yǐ dé bào yuàn, hérú?” Zǐ yuē: “Héyǐ bàodé? Yǐ zhí bào yuàn, yǐ dé bào dé.” [Pinyin]

Some one said, "What do you say concerning the principle that injury should be recompensed with kindness?" The Master said, "With what then will you recompense kindness? Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐdébàodé

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ ㄉㄜˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄉㄜˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ji⁵ dak¹ bou³ dak¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐdébàodé
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ ㄉㄜˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄉㄜˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐdébàodé
    • Wade–Giles: i³-tê²-pao⁴-tê²
    • Yale: yǐ-dé-bàu-dé
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yiiderbawder
    • Palladius: идэбаодэ (idɛbaodɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɤ³⁵ pɑʊ̯⁵¹ tɤ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ji⁵ dak¹ bou³ dak¹
    • Yale: yíh dāk bou dāk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁵ dak⁷ bou³ dak⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: yi⁵ deg¹ bou³ deg¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː¹³ tɐk̚⁵ pou̯³³ tɐk̚⁵/

Idiom

以德報德

1. to recompense kindness with kindness

See also

• 以德報怨／以德报怨 (yǐdébàoyuàn)
• 以直報怨／以直报怨 (yǐzhíbàoyuàn)
• 以怨報德／以怨报德 (yǐyuànbàodé)