其身不正，雖令不從

See also: 其身不正，虽令不从

Chinese

		his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to something preceding it)	body; torso; person body; torso; person; life; status; pregnancy; (a measure word used for clothes) suit	not; no	just (right); main; upright just (right); main; upright; straight; correct; principle; Chinese 1st month of year		although; even though	make or cause to be; order; command make or cause to be; order; command; decree; honourable	not; no	from; obey; observe from; obey; observe; follow; second cousin; lax; yielding; unhurried
trad. (其身不正，雖令不從)		其	身	不	正	，	雖	令	不	從
simp. (其身不正，虽令不从)		其	身	不	正	，	虽	令	不	从

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 13 (《論語·子路》):

子曰：「其身正，不令而行；其身不正，雖令不從。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子曰：「其身正，不令而行；其身不正，虽令不从。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐyuē: “Qí shēn zhèng, bù lìng ér xíng; qí shēn bùzhèng, suī lìng bùcóng.” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "When a prince's personal conduct is correct, his government is effective without the issuing of orders. If his personal conduct is not correct, he may issue orders, but they will not be followed."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qí shēn bù zhèng, suí lìng bù cóng

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˊ ㄕㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄥˋ , ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): kei⁴ san¹ bat¹ zing³, seoi¹ ling⁶ bat¹ cung⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qí shēn bù zhèng, suí lìng bù cóng [Phonetic: qí shēn bú zhèng, suí lìng bù cóng]
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˊ ㄕㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄥˋ , ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: cí shen bù jhèng, suéi lìng bù cóng
    • Wade–Giles: chʻi² shên¹ pu⁴ chêng⁴, sui² ling⁴ pu⁴ tsʻung²
    • Yale: chí shēn bù jèng-, swéi lìng bù tsúng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyi shen bu jenq, swei linq bu tsorng
    • Palladius: ци шэнь бу чжэн, суй лин бу цун (ci šɛnʹ bu čžɛn, suj lin bu cun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ su̯eɪ̯³⁵ liŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: kei⁴ san¹ bat¹ zing³, seoi¹ ling⁶ bat¹ cung⁴
    • Yale: kèih sān bāt jing, sēui lihng bāt chùhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: kei⁴ san¹ bat⁷ dzing³, soey¹ ling⁶ bat⁷ tsung⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: kéi⁴ sen¹ bed¹ jing³, sêu¹ ling⁶ bed¹ cung⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰei̯²¹ sɐn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪŋ³³ sɵy̯⁵⁵ lɪŋ²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹/

Proverb

其身不正，雖令不從

1. If the leader is not righteous, his subordinates would not follow his orders.