成者為王，敗者為寇

See also: 成者为王，败者为寇

Chinese

		finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)	to be; to become	king		be defeated; to defeat; loss	‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)	to be; to become	bandit
trad. (成者為王，敗者為寇)		成	者	為	王	，	敗	者	為	寇
simp. (成者为王，败者为寇)		成	者	为	王	，	败	者	为	寇
Literally: “The victor becomes king, the defeated an outlaw.”

Etymology

Based on a line in The Orphan of Zhao (translation by West & Idema, 2015):

我成則為王，敗則為虜。事已至此，惟求早死而已。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

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我成则为王，败则为虏。事已至此，惟求早死而已。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: Yuan Dynasty, Ji Junxiang, The Orphan of Zhao

Wǒ chéng zé wéi wáng, bài zé wéi lǔ. Shì yǐ zhì cǐ, wéi qiú zǎosǐ éryǐ. [Pinyin]

Successful, I would have been a king; defeated, I am a prisoner. Now that things have reached this point, I only wish to die quickly.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): chéng zhě wéi wáng, bài zhě wéi kòu

  (Zhuyin): ㄔㄥˊ ㄓㄜˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄤˊ , ㄅㄞˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄎㄡˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sing⁴ ze² wai⁴ wong⁴, baai⁶ ze² wai⁴ kau³

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: chéng zhě wéi wáng, bài zhě wéi kòu
    • Zhuyin: ㄔㄥˊ ㄓㄜˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄤˊ , ㄅㄞˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄎㄡˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chéng jhě wéi wáng, bài jhě wéi kòu
    • Wade–Giles: chʻêng² chê³ wei² wang², pai⁴ chê³ wei² kʻou⁴
    • Yale: chéng jě wéi wáng-, bài jě wéi kòu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: cherng jee wei wang, bay jee wei kow
    • Palladius: чэн чжэ вэй ван, бай чжэ вэй коу (čɛn čžɛ vɛj van, baj čžɛ vɛj kou)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ wɑŋ³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ kʰoʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sing⁴ ze² wai⁴ wong⁴, baai⁶ ze² wai⁴ kau³
    • Yale: sìhng jé wàih wòhng, baaih jé wàih kau
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sing⁴ dze² wai⁴ wong⁴, baai⁶ dze² wai⁴ kau³
    • Guangdong Romanization: xing⁴ zé² wei⁴ wong⁴, bai⁶ zé² wei⁴ keo³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪŋ²¹ t͡sɛː³⁵ wɐi̯²¹ wɔːŋ²¹ paːi̯²² t͡sɛː³⁵ wɐi̯²¹ kʰɐu̯³³/

Proverb

成者為王，敗者為寇

1. Legitimacy belongs to the victor; might makes right; Used to mean a person is judged solely on whether they succeeded or failed

Synonyms

• 成王敗寇／成王败寇 (chéngwángbàikòu)
• 成者王侯敗者寇／成者王侯败者寇 (chéng zhě wánghóu bài zhě kòu)
• 成者王侯敗者賊／成者王侯败者贼
• 勝者為王，敗者為寇／胜者为王，败者为寇
• 成則為王，敗則為寇／成则为王，败则为寇

Descendants

• → Vietnamese: thắng làm vua, thua làm giặc (calque)