平易近人

Chinese

		unassuming; amiable; easy unassuming; amiable; easy; plain	near; close (to); approximately	man; person; people
trad. (平易近人)		平易	近	人
simp. ^#(平易近人)		平易	近	人

Etymology

Originally 平易近民, as in Shiji:

聞伯禽報政遲，乃嘆曰：「嗚呼，魯後世其北面事齊矣！夫政不簡不易，民不有近；平易近民，民必歸之。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

闻伯禽报政迟，乃叹曰：「呜呼，鲁后世其北面事齐矣！夫政不简不易，民不有近；平易近民，民必归之。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Wén Bóqín bàozhèng chí, nǎi tàn yuē: “Wūhū, Lǔ hòushì qí běimiàn shì Qí yǐ! Fū zhèng bù jiǎn bù yì, mín bù yǒu jìn; píngyì jìn mín, mín bì guī zhī.” [Pinyin]

When he heard that Bo Qin reported the government affairs late, he sighed and said, "Alas, in later generations Lu will face north to serve Qi! As for the government policies, if they are not simple and easy [to carry out], then the people will not be close [to the ruler]; If they are easy and in close relation with people, then people will surely support [the ruler]."

Later popularized in the Tang dynasty, as in Bai Juyi's work in 806 AD:

故周公歎曰：“夫平易近人，人必歸之，魯後代其北面事齊矣。” [Literary Chinese, trad.]

故周公叹曰：“夫平易近人，人必归之，鲁后代其北面事齐矣。” [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 806, 白居易, 《策林》Chapter XII

Gù Zhōugōng tàn yuē: “Fú píngyìjìnrén, rén bì guī zhī, Lǔ hòudài qí běimiàn shì Qí yǐ.” [Pinyin]

Thus the Duke of Zhou lamented: "Where [governance] is accessible and approachable, the people will pledge allegiance. Our descendants enfeoffed in Lu shall bow to Qi in days to come."

During the Tang dynasty, 民 (mín) should be replaced by 人 (rén) so as to observe the taboo of mentioning Emperor's name (李世民).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): píngyìjìnrén

(Zhuyin): ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄧˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄖㄣˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): ping⁴ ji⁶ gan⁶ jan⁴

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: píngyìjìnrén
  - Zhuyin: ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄧˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄖㄣˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: píngyìjìnrén
  - Wade–Giles: pʻing²-i⁴-chin⁴-jên²
  - Yale: píng-yì-jìn-rén
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pyngyihjinnren
  - Palladius: пинъицзиньжэнь (pinʺiczinʹžɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰiŋ³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕin⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: ping⁴ ji⁶ gan⁶ jan⁴
  - Yale: pìhng yih gahn yàhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: ping⁴ ji⁶ gan⁶ jan⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: ping⁴ yi⁶ gen⁶ yen⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɪŋ²¹ jiː²² kɐn²² jɐn²¹/

Idiom

平易近人

amiable and approachable; easy-going, modest and unassuming
(of writing) plain and simple; easy to understand
- 欲為平易近人詩，下筆情深不自持。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
  欲为平易近人诗，下笔情深不自持。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]
  From: 1819, 龔自珍 (Gong Zizhen), 《雜詩》其十四
  Yù wéi píngyìjìnrén shī, xiàbǐ qíng shēn bù zìchí. [Pinyin]
  I aspire to write poems plain and kind,
  Yet whenever I take up the brush, deep emotions overwhelm my mind.