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一言興邦. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
一言興邦, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
一言興邦 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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一言興邦 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
一言興邦, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
Etymology
From the Analects, Book 13 (《論語·子路》):
定公問：「一言而可以興邦，有諸？」
孔子對曰：「言不可以若是其幾也。人之言曰：『為君難，為臣不易。』如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？」
定公问：「一言而可以兴邦，有诸？」
孔子对曰：「言不可以若是其几也。人之言曰：『为君难，为臣不易。』如知为君之难也，不几乎一言而兴邦乎？」 - From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
- Dìng Gōng wèn: “Yīyán ér kěyǐ xìngbāng, yǒu zhū?”
Kǒngzǐ duì yuē: “Yán bù kěyǐ ruò shì qí jī yě. Rén zhī yán yuē: ‘Wéi jūn nán, wéi chén bùyì.’ Rú zhī wéi jūn zhī nán yě, bù jī hū yīyán ér xìngbāng hū?” - The Duke Ding (鲁定公) asked whether there was a single sentence which could make a country prosperous.
Confucius replied, "Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence. There is a saying, however, which people have ― 'To be a prince is difficult; to be a minister is not easy.' If a ruler knows this ― the difficulty of being a prince ― may there not be expected from this one sentence the prosperity of his country?"
Pronunciation
Idiom
一言興邦
- One inspirational sentence can revitalize a nation.