令行禁止

Chinese

		make or cause to be; order; command make or cause to be; order; command; decree; honourable	to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional	to prohibit; to forbid; endure	to stop; prohibit; till
trad. (令行禁止)		令	行	禁	止
simp. #(令行禁止)		令	行	禁	止

Etymology

令則行，禁則止。憲之所及，俗之所被，如百體之從心，政之所期也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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令则行，禁则止。宪之所及，俗之所被，如百体之从心，政之所期也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Guanzi, 5^th century BCE to 220 CE

Lìng zé xíng, jìn zé zhǐ. Xiàn zhī suǒjí, sú zhī suǒ bèi, rú bǎitǐ zhī cóng xīn, zhèng zhī suǒ qī yě. [Pinyin]

If there is an order, carry it out. If there is an prohibition on something, stop doing it. Wherever the laws and customs reach should [accept and abide by them,] just like how one's organs follow their heart, which is what politicians expect.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lìngxíngjìnzhǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ling⁶ hang⁴ gam³ zi²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lìngxíngjìnzhǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lìngsíngjìnjhǐh
    • Wade–Giles: ling⁴-hsing²-chin⁴-chih³
    • Yale: lìng-syíng-jìn-jř
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linqshyngjinnjyy
    • Palladius: линсинцзиньчжи (linsinczinʹčži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liŋ⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ling⁶ hang⁴ gam³ zi²
    • Yale: lihng hàhng gam jí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ling⁶ hang⁴ gam³ dzi²
    • Guangdong Romanization: ling⁶ heng⁴ gem³ ji²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɪŋ²² hɐŋ²¹ kɐm³³ t͡siː³⁵/

Idiom

令行禁止

1. to carry out orders and proclaim prohibitions; to abide by orders