成人之美

Chinese

		finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	man; person; people	possessive particle	virtue; goodness
trad. (成人之美)		成	人	之	美
simp. #(成人之美)		成	人	之	美

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》):

子曰：「君子成人之美，不成人之惡。小人反是。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子曰：「君子成人之美，不成人之恶。小人反是。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ chéng rén zhī měi, bù chéng rén zhī è. Xiǎorén fǎn shì.” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "The superior man seeks to perfect the admirable qualities of men, and does not seek to perfect their bad qualities. The mean man does the opposite of this."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chéngrénzhīměi

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄥˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄇㄟˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chéngrénzhīměi
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄥˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄇㄟˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chéngrénjhihměi
    • Wade–Giles: chʻêng²-jên²-chih¹-mei³
    • Yale: chéng-rén-jr̄-měi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cherngrenjymeei
    • Palladius: чэнжэньчжимэй (čɛnžɛnʹčžimɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ meɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

成人之美

1. to help or encourage someone accomplish something; to assist
2. (chiefly literary) to magnify other people's virtue; to make good someone's honourable intentions

   • 《春秋》成人之美，不成人之惡。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     《春秋》成人之美，不成人之恶。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Commentary of Guliang, circa 206 BCE– 9 CE

     “Chūnqiū” chéngrénzhīměi, bù chéng rén zhī è. [Pinyin]

     The Spring and Autumn Annals make good on the virtues of its protagonists, but not their vices.