士為知己者死

Chinese

		scholar; warrior; knight	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	intimate friend; close friend; to know oneself intimate friend; close friend; to know oneself; to be intimate with oneself	‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)	to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid
trad. (士為知己者死/士爲知己者死)		士	為/爲	知己	者	死
simp. (士为知己者死)		士	为	知己	者	死

Etymology

From Zhanguoce:

豫讓遁逃山中，曰：「嗟乎！士為知己者死，女為悅己者容。吾其報知氏之讎矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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豫让遁逃山中，曰：「嗟乎！士为知己者死，女为悦己者容。吾其报知氏之雠矣。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

Yù Ràng dùntáo shān zhōng, yuē: “Jiēhū! Shìwèizhījǐzhěsǐ, nǚ wèi yuè jǐ zhě róng. Wú qí bào Zhì shì zhī chóu yǐ.” [Pinyin]

Yu Rang fled to the mountains, and said, "Alas! A man will die for someone who understands him, while a woman will adorn herself for a man that likes her. I must avenge the murder of Zhi Yao."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shì wèi zhījǐ zhě sǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˋ ㄨㄟˋ ㄓ ㄐㄧˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄙˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): si⁶ wai⁶ zi¹ gei² ze² sei²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shì wèi zhījǐ zhě sǐ [Phonetic: shìwèizhījízhésǐ]
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˋ ㄨㄟˋ ㄓ ㄐㄧˇ ㄓㄜˇ ㄙˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shìh wèi jhihjǐ jhě sǐh
    • Wade–Giles: shih⁴ wei⁴ chih¹-chi³ chê³ ssŭ³
    • Yale: shr̀ wèi jr̄-jǐ jě sž
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyh wey jyjii jee syy
    • Palladius: ши вэй чжицзи чжэ сы (ši vɛj čžiczi čžɛ sy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ weɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: si⁶ wai⁶ zi¹ gei² ze² sei²
    • Yale: sih waih jī géi jé séi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: si⁶ wai⁶ dzi¹ gei² dze² sei²
    • Guangdong Romanization: xi⁶ wei⁶ ji¹ géi² zé² séi²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /siː²² wɐi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵ kei̯³⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ sei̯³⁵/

Idiom

士為知己者死

1. a gentleman will sacrifice his life for someone who understands and appreciates him