無所不用其極

See also: 无所不用其极

Chinese

		not have	actually; place; (nominalization prefix)	not necessary; don't; no need to	his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to something preceding it)	utmost; pole; extreme utmost; pole; extreme; to reach the limit
trad. (無所不用其極)		無	所	不用	其	極
simp. (无所不用其极)		无	所	不用	其	极

Etymology

From the Great Learning (《大學》) in the Book of Rites:

湯之盤銘曰：「茍日新，日日新，又日新。」《康誥》曰：「作新民。」《詩》曰：「周雖舊邦，其命惟新。」是故君子無所不用其極。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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汤之盘铭曰：「茍日新，日日新，又日新。」《康诰》曰：「作新民。」《诗》曰：「周虽旧邦，其命惟新。」是故君子无所不用其极。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Tāng zhī pán míng yuē: “Jì rìxīn, rì rìxīn, yòu rìxīn.” “Kānggào” yuē: “Zuò xīnmín.” “Shī” yuē: “Zhōu suī jiù bāng, qí mìng wéi xīn.” Shìgù jūnzǐ wú suǒ bùyòng qí jí. [Pinyin]

On the bathing tub of Tang, the following words were engraved: "If you can one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation." In the Announcement to Kang (《康誥》), it is said, "To stir up the new people." In the Book of Poetry, it is said, "Although Zhou was an ancient state the ordinance which lighted on it was new." Therefore, the superior man in everything uses his utmost endeavors.

It has later become a derogatory term.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wú suǒ bùyòng qí jí

  (Zhuyin): ㄨˊ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄥˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄐㄧˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁴ so² bat¹ jung⁶ kei⁴ gik⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wú suǒ bùyòng qí jí [Phonetic: wú suǒ búyòng qí jí]
    • Zhuyin: ㄨˊ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄥˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄐㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wú suǒ bùyòng cí jí
    • Wade–Giles: wu² so³ pu⁴-yung⁴ chʻi² chi²
    • Yale: wú swǒ bù-yùng chí jí
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wu suoo buyonq chyi jyi
    • Palladius: у со буюн ци цзи (u so bujun ci czi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /u³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jʊŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: mou⁴ so² bat¹ jung⁶ kei⁴ gik⁶
    • Yale: mòuh só bāt yuhng kèih gihk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁴ so² bat⁷ jung⁶ kei⁴ gik⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁴ so² bed¹ yung⁶ kéi⁴ gig⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mou̯²¹ sɔː³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²² kʰei̯²¹ kɪk̚²/

Idiom

無所不用其極

1. (usually disapproving) to resort to every conceivable means; to stop at nothing; to go to any length