巧言令色
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Chinese[edit]
clever but deceptive talk | |||
---|---|---|---|
trad. (巧言令色) | 巧言 | 令色 | |
simp. #(巧言令色) | 巧言 | 令色 |
Etymology[edit]
Attested in the Book of Documents (《尚書·皐陶謨》):
- 能哲而惠,何憂乎驩兜?何遷乎有苗?何畏乎巧言令色孔壬? [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Book of Documents, circa 4th – 3rd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Néng zhé ér huì, hé yōu hū Huān Dōu? Hé qiān hū Yǒumiáo? Hé wèi hū qiǎoyán lìngsè kǒngrén? [Pinyin]
- When he can be (thus) wise and kind, what occasion will he have for anxiety about a Huan-dou? what to be removing a lord of Miao? what to fear any one of fair words, insinuating appearance, and great artfulness?
能哲而惠,何忧乎欢兜?何迁乎有苗?何畏乎巧言令色孔壬? [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Also attested in the Analects, Book 1 (《論語·學而》):
- 子曰:「巧言令色,鮮矣仁!」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
- From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Zǐ yuē: “Qiǎoyán lìngsè, xiān yǐ rén!” [Pinyin]
- The Master said, "Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue."
子曰:「巧言令色,鲜矣仁!」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
Pronunciation[edit]
Idiom[edit]
巧言令色
- with flourishing words and friendly countenance; with insincere courtesy
Descendants[edit]
See also[edit]
Categories:
- Literary Chinese terms with quotations
- Chinese lemmas
- Mandarin lemmas
- Cantonese lemmas
- Chinese four-character idioms
- Mandarin four-character idioms
- Cantonese four-character idioms
- Chinese idioms
- Mandarin idioms
- Cantonese idioms
- Chinese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Chinese four-character idioms derived from the Analects
- Chinese chengyu from the Book of Documents