行不由徑

Chinese

		to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional	not; no	follow; from; it is for...to follow; from; it is for...to; reason; cause; because of; due to; by; to; to leave it (to someone)	path
trad. (行不由徑)		行	不	由	徑
simp. (行不由径)		行	不	由	径
Literally: “to not take bypaths”.

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 6 (《論語·雍也》):

子游為武城宰。子曰：「女得人焉爾乎？」曰：「有澹臺滅明者，行不由徑。非公事，未嘗至於偃之室也。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子游为武城宰。子曰：「女得人焉尔乎？」曰：「有澹台灭明者，行不由径。非公事，未尝至于偃之室也。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐyóu wèi Wǔchéng zǎi. Zǐyuē: “Rǔ dé rén yān ěr hū?” Yuē: “Yǒu Tántái Mièmíng zhě, xíng bù yóu jìng. Fēi gōngshì, wèicháng zhìyú Yǎn zhī shì yě.” [Pinyin]

Ziyou being governor of Wucheng, the Master said to him, "Have you got good men there?" He answered, "There is Tantai Mieming, who never in walking takes a short cut, and excepting on public business never comes to my office."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xíngbùyóujìng

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄥˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hang⁴ bat¹ jau⁴ ging³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xíngbùyóujìng
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄥˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: síngbùyóujìng
    • Wade–Giles: hsing²-pu⁴-yu²-ching⁴
    • Yale: syíng-bù-yóu-jìng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyngbuyoujinq
    • Palladius: синбуюцзин (sinbujuczin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕiŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ joʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hang⁴ bat¹ jau⁴ ging³
    • Yale: hàhng bāt yàuh ging
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hang⁴ bat⁷ jau⁴ ging³
    • Guangdong Romanization: heng⁴ bed¹ yeo⁴ ging³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯²¹ kɪŋ³³/

Idiom

行不由徑

1. to act justly and honestly