學而優則仕

See also: 学而优则仕

Chinese

		learn; study; science learn; study; science; ‑ology	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	excellent; superior	(expresses contrast with a previous sentence or clause); standard; norm (expresses contrast with a previous sentence or clause); standard; norm; rule; to imitate; to follow; then; principle	an official
trad. (學而優則仕)		學	而	優	則	仕
simp. (学而优则仕)		学	而	优	则	仕

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 19 (《論語·子張》):

子夏曰：『仕而優則學，學而優則仕。』 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子夏曰：『仕而优则学，学而优则仕。』 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐxià yuē: ‘Shì ér yōu zé xué, xué ér yōu zé shì.’ [Pinyin]

Zixia said, "The officer, having discharged all his duties, should devote his leisure to learning. The student, having completed his learning, should apply himself to be an officer."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xué ér yōu zé shì

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄦˊ ㄧㄡ ㄗㄜˊ ㄕˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hok⁶ ji⁴ jau¹ zak¹ si⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xué ér yōu zé shì
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄦˊ ㄧㄡ ㄗㄜˊ ㄕˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: syué ér you zé shìh
    • Wade–Giles: hsüeh² êrh² yu¹ tsê² shih⁴
    • Yale: sywé ér yōu dzé shr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyue erl iou tzer shyh
    • Palladius: сюэ эр ю цзэ ши (sjue er ju czɛ ši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ joʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hok⁶ ji⁴ jau¹ zak¹ si⁶
    • Yale: hohk yìh yāu jāk sih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hok⁹ ji⁴ jau¹ dzak⁷ si⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: hog⁶ yi⁴ yeo¹ zeg¹ xi⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːk̚² jiː²¹ jɐu̯⁵⁵ t͡sɐk̚⁵ siː²²/

Proverb

學而優則仕

1. The student, having completed his studies, should enter into government service.

Usage notes

學而優則仕 is both a proverb and a chengyu.

Derived terms

• 學優而仕／学优而仕 (xuéyōu'érshì)