功成名遂

Chinese

		merit; achievement; result merit; achievement; result; service; accomplishment	finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	name; fame; to describe name; fame; to describe; place	forthwith
trad. (功成名遂)		功	成	名	遂
simp. #(功成名遂)		功	成	名	遂

Etymology

From Mozi:

• 名不徒生而譽不自長，功成名遂，名譽不可虛假，反之身者也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

  ---

  名不徒生而誉不自长，功成名遂，名誉不可虚假，反之身者也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

  From: Mozi, c. 4^th century BCE

  Míng bù túshēng ér yù bù zìcháng, gōngchéngmíngsuì, míngyù bùkě xūjiǎ, fǎn zhī shēn zhě yě. [Pinyin]

  Reputation does not spring up out of nothing, and praise does not grow by itself. Reputation follows upon accomplishment. Reputation and praise cannot be had by empty pretense, but are the result of his “turning inward to improve himself.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): gōngchéngmíngsuì

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄥ ㄔㄥˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄙㄨㄟˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gung¹ sing⁴ ming⁴ seoi⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: gōngchéngmíngsuì
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄥ ㄔㄥˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄙㄨㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: gongchéngmíngsuèi
    • Wade–Giles: kung¹-chʻêng²-ming²-sui⁴
    • Yale: gūng-chéng-míng-swèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gongcherngmingsuey
    • Palladius: гунчэнминсуй (gunčɛnminsuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ miŋ³⁵ su̯eɪ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gung¹ sing⁴ ming⁴ seoi⁶
    • Yale: gūng sìhng mìhng seuih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gung¹ sing⁴ ming⁴ soey⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: gung¹ xing⁴ ming⁴ sêu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʊŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ mɪŋ²¹ sɵy̯²²/

Idiom

功成名遂

1. merits accomplished and fame obtained

   • 功成、名遂、身退，天之道。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Tao Te Ching, 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Gōngchéng, míngsuì, shēntuì, tiān zhī dào. [Pinyin]

     When the work is done, and one's name is becoming distinguished, to withdraw oneself into obscurity is the way of Heaven.

Synonyms

• 功成名就 (gōngchéngmíngjiù)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (功成名遂):

• → Vietnamese: công thành danh toại (功成名遂)

→ Japanese: 功成り名遂ぐ (kō nari na togu), 功成り名遂げる (kō nari na togeru) (calque)