失道寡助

Chinese

		to lose one's way; to get lost; to lose the proper course to lose one's way; to get lost; to lose the proper course; to lose the right path	finding little support; paucity of support
trad. (失道寡助)		失道	寡助
simp. ^#(失道寡助)		失道	寡助

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》):

得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，親戚畔之；多助之至，天下順之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，亲戚畔之；多助之至，天下顺之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dédào zhě duōzhù, shīdào zhě guǎzhù. Guǎzhù zhī zhì, qīnqī pàn zhī; duōzhù zhī zhì, tiānxià shùn zhī. [Pinyin]

He who finds the proper course has many to assist him. He who loses the proper course has few to assist him. When this - the being assisted by few - reaches its extreme point, his own relations revolt from the prince. When the being assisted by many reaches its highest point, the whole kingdom becomes obedient to the prince.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): shīdàoguǎzhù

(Zhuyin): ㄕㄉㄠˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄓㄨˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): sat¹ dou⁶ gwaa² zo⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: shīdàoguǎzhù
  - Zhuyin: ㄕㄉㄠˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄓㄨˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: shihdàoguǎjhù
  - Wade–Giles: shih¹-tao⁴-kua³-chu⁴
  - Yale: shr̄-dàu-gwǎ-jù
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shydawgoajuh
  - Palladius: шидаогуачжу (šidaoguačžu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: sat¹ dou⁶ gwaa² zo⁶
  - Yale: sāt douh gwá joh
  - Cantonese Pinyin: sat⁷ dou⁶ gwaa² dzo⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: sed¹ dou⁶ gua² zo⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐt̚⁵ tou̯²² kʷaː³⁵ t͡sɔː²²/

Idiom

失道寡助

An unjust cause attracts little support.
- 最後，第四，由於中國戰爭的進步性、正義性而產生出來的國際廣大援助，同日本的失道寡助又恰恰相反。 [MSC, trad.]
  最后，第四，由于中国战争的进步性、正义性而产生出来的国际广大援助，同日本的失道寡助又恰恰相反。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: 1938, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《論持久戰》 (On Protracted War), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition
  Zuìhòu, dìsì, yóuyú Zhōngguó zhànzhēng de jìnbùxìng, zhèngyìxìng ér chǎnshēng chūlái de guójì guǎngdà yuánzhù, tóng Rìběn de shīdàoguǎzhù yòu qiàqià xiàngfǎn. [Pinyin]
  Fourthly and lastly, there is broad international support for China stemming from the progressive and just character of her war, which is again exactly the reverse of the meagre support for Japan's unjust cause.

Antonyms

得道多助 (dédàoduōzhù)