色厲內荏

Chinese

		colour; dice; look colour; dice; look; appearance	severe	inside; inner; internal inside; inner; internal; within; interior	Perilla frutescens; soft
trad. (色厲內荏)		色	厲	內	荏
simp. (色厉内荏)		色	厉	内	荏

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):

子曰：「色厲而內荏，譬諸小人，其猶穿窬之盜也與？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

子曰：「色厉而内荏，譬诸小人，其犹穿窬之盗也与？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐyuē: “Sè lì ér nèi rěn, pì zhū xiǎorén, qí yóu chuān yú zhī dào yě yú?” [Pinyin]

The Master said, "He who puts on an appearance of stern firmness, while inwardly he is weak, is like one of the small, mean people - yea, is he not like the thief who breaks through, or climbs over, a wall?"

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): sèlìnèirěn

(Zhuyin): ㄙㄜˋ ㄌㄧˋ ㄋㄟˋ ㄖㄣˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sik¹ lai⁶ noi⁶ jam⁵

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: sèlìnèirěn
  - Zhuyin: ㄙㄜˋ ㄌㄧˋ ㄋㄟˋ ㄖㄣˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: sèlìnèirěn
  - Wade–Giles: sê⁴-li⁴-nei⁴-jên³
  - Yale: sè-lì-nèi-rěn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sehlihneyreen
  - Palladius: сэлинэйжэнь (sɛlinɛjžɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹⁻⁵³ neɪ̯⁵¹ ʐən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sik¹ lai⁶ noi⁶ jam⁵
  - Yale: sīk laih noih yáhm
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sik⁷ lai⁶ noi⁶ jam⁵
  - Guangdong Romanization: xig¹ lei⁶ noi⁶ yem⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪk̚⁵ lɐi̯²² nɔːi̯²² jɐm¹³/

Idiom

色厲內荏

to appear tough on the outside but be weak and timid on the inside