有恃無恐

Chinese

		to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	rely upon	not have	afraid; frightened; to fear
trad. (有恃無恐)		有	恃	無	恐
simp. (有恃无恐)		有	恃	无	恐

Etymology

Paraphrase of a story [634 BCE] from the Zuo Zhuan:

夏，齊孝公伐我北鄙…齊侯曰：「魯人恐乎？」對曰：「小人恐矣，君子則否。」齊侯曰：「室如縣罄，野無青草，何恃而不恐？」對曰：「恃先王之命。…恃此以不恐。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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夏，齐孝公伐我北鄙…齐侯曰：「鲁人恐乎？」对曰：「小人恐矣，君子则否。」齐侯曰：「室如县罄，野无青草，何恃而不恐？」对曰：「恃先王之命。…恃此以不恐。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

Xià, Qí Xiàogōng fá wǒ běi bǐ... Qíhóu yuē: “Lǔrén kǒng hū?” Duì yuē: “Xiǎorén kǒng yǐ, jūnzǐ zé fǒu.” Qíhóu yuē: “Shì rú xuán qìng, yě wú qīngcǎo, héshì ér bùkǒng?” Duì yuē: “Shì xiānwáng zhī mìng.... Shì cǐ yǐ bùkǒng.” [Pinyin]

In summer, Duke Xiao of Qi invaded our northern frontiers… "Are the people of Lu afraid?" asked the Duke of Qi. "The inferior are afraid indeed, but the superior ones are not," said Zhan Xi in reply. The Duke asks, "Your households suffer from such want like empty containers hang upside down, and not even green grass grow on your fields, let alone food. Whence your lack of fear?" "We rely on the indisputable and everlasting commandments of the Sovereign Forefather," said Xi. "… thus supported, we have nothing to fear."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǒushìwúkǒng

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˋ ㄨˊ ㄎㄨㄥˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jau⁵ ci⁵ mou⁴ hung²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǒushìwúkǒng
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˋ ㄨˊ ㄎㄨㄥˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǒushìhwúkǒng
    • Wade–Giles: yu³-shih⁴-wu²-kʻung³
    • Yale: yǒu-shr̀-wú-kǔng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeoushyhwukoong
    • Palladius: юшиукун (jušiukun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ u³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jau⁵ ci⁵ mou⁴ hung²
    • Yale: yáuh chíh mòuh húng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jau⁵ tsi⁵ mou⁴ hung²
    • Guangdong Romanization: yeo⁵ qi⁵ mou⁴ hung²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐu̯¹³ t͡sʰiː¹³ mou̯²¹ hʊŋ³⁵/

Idiom

有恃無恐

1. to be emboldened in the knowledge that one has backing; to fear nothing with someone at one's back

   • 得不到的永遠在騷動　被偏愛的都有恃無恐 [MSC, trad.]
     得不到的永远在骚动　被偏爱的都有恃无恐 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 陳奕迅 (lyricist 李焯雄), 紅玫瑰

     dé bùdào de yǒngyuǎn zài sāodòng, bèi piān'ài de dōu yǒushìwúkǒng [Pinyin]

     Deprived, in a disturbance;
     Possessed, how supercilious.