每事問

Chinese

		each; every	matter; thing; item matter; thing; item; work; affair	to ask
trad. (每事問)		每	事	問
simp. (每事问)		每	事	问

Etymology

From the Analects.

入太廟，每事問。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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入太庙，每事问。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Rù tàimiào, měi shì wèn. [Pinyin]

When he [the Master] entered the ancestral temple of the state, he asked about everything.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): měishìwèn

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˇ ㄕˋ ㄨㄣˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: měishìwèn
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˇ ㄕˋ ㄨㄣˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: měishìhwùn
    • Wade–Giles: mei³-shih⁴-wên⁴
    • Yale: měi-shr̀-wèn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: meeishyhwenn
    • Palladius: мэйшивэнь (mɛjšivɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ wən⁵¹/

Idiom

每事問

1. to inquire into everything

   • 邁開你的兩腳，到你的工作範圍的各部分各地方去走走，學個孔夫子的「每事問」，任憑什麼才力小也能解決問題。 [MSC, trad.]
     迈开你的两脚，到你的工作范围的各部分各地方去走走，学个孔夫子的「每事问」，任凭什么才力小也能解决问题。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1930, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《反對本本主義》 (Oppose Book Worship), 《毛澤東選集》 (Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung), English translation based on [1]

     Màikāi nǐ de liǎngjiǎo, dào nǐ de gōngzuò fànwéi de gè bùfen gè dìfang qù zǒuzǒu, xué ge Kǒng Fūzǐ de “měishìwèn”, rènpíng shénme cáilì xiǎo yě néng jiějué wèntí. [Pinyin]

     Just get moving on your two legs, go the rounds of every section placed under your charge and “inquire into everything” as Confucius did, and then you will be able to solve the problems, however little is your ability.