巧言令色，鮮矣仁

Chinese

		with flourishing words and friendly countenance; with insincere courtesy		few; rare; fresh	final particle	humane; kernel
trad. (巧言令色，鮮矣仁)		巧言令色	，	鮮	矣	仁
simp. (巧言令色，鲜矣仁)		巧言令色	，	鲜	矣	仁

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 1 (《論語·學而》):

子曰：「巧言令色，鮮矣仁！」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

子曰：「巧言令色，鲜矣仁！」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐ yuē: “Qiǎoyán lìngsè, xiān yǐ rén!” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiǎoyánlìngsè, xiǎnyǐrén

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄠˇ ㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄙㄜˋ , ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄧˇ ㄖㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): haau² jin⁴ ling⁶ sik¹, sin² ji⁵ jan⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiǎoyánlìngsè, xiǎnyǐrén [Phonetic: qiǎoyánlìngsè,xiányǐrén]
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄠˇ ㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄙㄜˋ , ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄧˇ ㄖㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciǎoyánlìngsè, siǎnyǐrén
    • Wade–Giles: chʻiao³-yen²-ling⁴-sê⁴, hsien³-i³-jên²
    • Yale: chyǎu-yán-lìng-sè-, syǎn-yǐ-rén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cheauyanlinqseh, sheanyiiren
    • Palladius: цяояньлинсэ, сяньижэнь (cjaojanʹlinsɛ, sjanʹižɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɛn³⁵ liŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ sɤ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: haau² jin⁴ ling⁶ sik¹, sin² ji⁵ jan⁴
    • Yale: háau yìhn lihng sīk, sín yíh yàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: haau² jin⁴ ling⁶ sik⁷, sin² ji⁵ jan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: hao² yin⁴ ling⁶ xig¹, xin² yi⁵ yen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /haːu̯³⁵ jiːn²¹ lɪŋ²² sɪk̚⁵ siːn³⁵ jiː¹³ jɐn²¹/

Proverb

巧言令色，鮮矣仁

1. He who utters sweet talk and pretentious words does not have much benevolence.

Descendants

• → Japanese: 巧言令色鮮し仁 (kōgenreishoku sukunashi jin)
• → Vietnamese: xảo ngôn, lệnh sắc, tiển hĩ nhân