出生入死

Chinese

		to be born; to lay down one's own life, to give up one's own life	to die
trad. (出生入死)		出生	入死
simp. #(出生入死)		出生	入死

Etymology

From Tao Te Ching.

This phrase 出生入死 has various interpretations, including "coming forth into life and entering death" or "exiting life and entering death" (see 出生 (chūshēng)).

The meaning "to risk one's own life" is attested earliest in 秋興賦 Evocative Rhapsody on Autumn by 潘岳 (Pan Yue):

聞至人之休風兮，齊天地於一指。彼知安而忘危兮，故出生而入死。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

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闻至人之休风兮，齐天地于一指。彼知安而忘危兮，故出生而入死。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 潘岳 Pan Yue, 《秋興賦》 Evocative Rhapsody on Autumn, 3rd century CE

Wén zhìrén zhī xiūfēng xī, qí tiāndì yú yī zhǐ. Bǐ zhī ān ér wàng wēi xī, gù chūshēng ér rùsǐ. [Pinyin]

I've heard of the wisemen's blissful manners, equalling Heaven and Earth with one finger / index / indication. They knew safety yet disregarded danger; so, coming forth into life / exiting life, they entered death.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chūshēngrùsǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄨ ㄕㄥ ㄖㄨˋ ㄙˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ceot¹ sang¹ jap⁶ sei² / ceot¹ saang¹ jap⁶ sei²
• Southern Min (Teochew, Peng'im): cug⁴ sên¹ rib⁸ si²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chūshēngrùsǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄨ ㄕㄥ ㄖㄨˋ ㄙˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chushengrùsǐh
    • Wade–Giles: chʻu¹-shêng¹-ju⁴-ssŭ³
    • Yale: chū-shēng-rù-sž
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chushengruhsyy
    • Palladius: чушэнжусы (čušɛnžusy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ceot¹ sang¹ jap⁶ sei² / ceot¹ saang¹ jap⁶ sei²
    • Yale: chēut sāng yahp séi / chēut sāang yahp séi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsoet⁷ sang¹ jap⁹ sei² / tsoet⁷ saang¹ jap⁹ sei²
    • Guangdong Romanization: cêd¹ seng¹ yeb⁶ séi² / cêd¹ sang¹ yeb⁶ séi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵ jɐp̚² sei̯³⁵/, /t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ saːŋ⁵⁵ jɐp̚² sei̯³⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cug⁴ sên¹ rib⁸ si²
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshuk seⁿ ji̍p sí
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuk̚²⁻⁴ sẽ³³⁻²³ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² si⁵²/

Idiom

出生入死

1. risking one's life; without regard to one's own life