殷鑒不遠

Chinese

		surname; dynasty; flourishing surname; dynasty; flourishing; roll of thunder; dark red	example; mirror; to view example; mirror; to view; reflection; to reflect; to inspect; to warn; (ancient bronze mirror)	not; no	far; distant; remote
trad. (殷鑒不遠/殷鑑不遠)		殷	鑒/鑑	不	遠
simp. (殷鉴不远)		殷	鉴	不	远
Literally: “the downfall of the Shang dynasty is not far past”.

Etymology

From 《詩經‧大雅‧蕩之什‧蕩》.

殷鑒不遠，在夏后之世。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

殷鉴不远，在夏后之世。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yīnjiànbùyuǎn, zài Xiàhòu zhī shì. [Pinyin]

The beacon of Yin is not far-distant;
It is in the age of the [last] sovereign of Xia.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yīnjiànbùyuǎn

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄣ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jan¹ gaam³ bat¹ jyun⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yīnjiànbùyuǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄣ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yinjiànbùyuǎn
    • Wade–Giles: yin¹-chien⁴-pu⁴-yüan³
    • Yale: yīn-jyàn-bù-ywǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: injiannbuyeuan
    • Palladius: иньцзяньбуюань (inʹczjanʹbujuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /in⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jan¹ gaam³ bat¹ jyun⁵
    • Yale: yān gaam bāt yúhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jan¹ gaam³ bat⁷ jyn⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: yen¹ gam³ bed¹ yun⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐn⁵⁵ kaːm³³ pɐt̚⁵ jyːn¹³/

Idiom

殷鑒不遠

1. something has happened not long ago and should be taken as a warning or a lesson

   文革殷鑒不遠。／文革殷鉴不远。  ―  Wéngé yīnjiànbùyuǎn.  ―  The Cultural Revolution is not far past.

See also

• 殷鑒 (yīnjiàn)