循循善誘

Chinese

		to follow; to adhere to; to abide by	to follow; to adhere to; to abide by	to be good at teaching; to instruct well
trad. (循循善誘)		循	循	善誘
simp. (循循善诱)		循	循	善诱

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 9 (《論語·子罕》):

顏淵喟然歎曰：「仰之彌高，鑽之彌堅，瞻之在前，忽焉在後！夫子循循然善誘人：博我以文，約我以禮。…… [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

颜渊喟然叹曰：「仰之弥高，钻之弥坚，瞻之在前，忽焉在后！夫子循循然善诱人：博我以文，约我以礼。…… [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Yán Yuān kuìrán tàn yuē: “Yǎng zhī mí gāo, zuàn zhī mí jiān, zhān zhī zài qián, hū yān zài hòu! Fūzǐ xúnxún rán shànyòu rén: bó wǒ yǐ wén, yuē wǒ yǐ lǐ....... [Pinyin]

Yan Yuan, in admiration of the Master's doctrines, sighed and said, "I looked up to them, and they seemed to become more high; I tried to penetrate them, and they seemed to become more firm; I looked at them before me, and suddenly they seemed to be behind. The Master, by orderly method, skillfully leads men on. He enlarged my mind with learning, and taught me the restraints of propriety.…

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xúnxúnshànyòu

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩㄣˊ ㄒㄩㄣˊ ㄕㄢˋ ㄧㄡˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ceon⁴ ceon⁴ sin⁶ jau⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xúnxúnshànyòu
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄩㄣˊ ㄒㄩㄣˊ ㄕㄢˋ ㄧㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: syúnsyúnshànyòu
    • Wade–Giles: hsün²-hsün²-shan⁴-yu⁴
    • Yale: syún-syún-shàn-yòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyunshyunshannyow
    • Palladius: сюньсюньшанью (sjunʹsjunʹšanʹju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕyn³⁵ ɕyn³⁵ ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ joʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ceon⁴ ceon⁴ sin⁶ jau⁵
    • Yale: chèuhn chèuhn sihn yáuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsoen⁴ tsoen⁴ sin⁶ jau⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: cên⁴ cên⁴ xin⁶ yeo⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰɵn²¹ t͡sʰɵn²¹ siːn²² jɐu̯¹³/

Idiom

循循善誘

1. to teach in a systematic and skilful way