上善若水

Chinese

		up; on; on top up; on; on top; upon; first; previous or last; upper; higher; above; previous; to climb; to go into; to go up	good	to seem; like; as to seem; like; as; if	water; river
trad. (上善若水)		上	善	若	水
simp. #(上善若水)		上	善	若	水

Etymology

From the Tao Te Ching [circa 4th century BC].

上善若水，水善利萬物而不爭。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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上善若水，水善利万物而不争。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Dao De Jing

Shàngshànruòshuǐ, shuǐ shàn lì wànwù ér bùzhēng. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shàngshànruòshuǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄢˋ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shàngshànruòshuǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄕㄤˋ ㄕㄢˋ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shàngshànruòshuěi
    • Wade–Giles: shang⁴-shan⁴-jo⁴-shui³
    • Yale: shàng-shàn-rwò-shwěi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shanqshannruohshoei
    • Palladius: шаншаньжошуй (šanšanʹžošuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

上善若水

1. to be perfectly virtuous and benevolent