桃李不言，下自成蹊
Chinese
| peach | surname; plum | not; no | to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word |
under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter |
from; self; oneself from; self; oneself; since |
finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth |
footpath | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (桃李不言，下自成蹊) | 桃 | 李 | 不 | 言 | ， | 下 | 自 | 成 | 蹊 | |
| simp. #(桃李不言，下自成蹊) | 桃 | 李 | 不 | 言 | ， | 下 | 自 | 成 | 蹊 | |
Etymology
From the Records of the Grand Historian:
- 諺曰「桃李不言，下自成蹊」。此言雖小，可以諭大也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
- From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
- Yàn yuē “táolǐ bù yán, xià zì chéng qī”. Cǐ yán suī xiǎo, kěyǐ yù dà yě. [Pinyin]
- There is a proverb which says, “Though the peach and plum trees do not speak, yet a path is trodden out to them.” It is a small saying, but one which is capable of conveying a great meaning.
谚曰「桃李不言，下自成蹊」。此言虽小，可以谕大也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: táolǐbùyán, xiàzìchéngxī
- Zhuyin: ㄊㄠˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˊ , ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄗˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄧ
- Tongyong Pinyin: táolǐbùyán, siàzìhchéngsi
- Wade–Giles: tʻao2-li3-pu4-yen2, hsia4-tzŭ4-chʻêng2-hsi1
- Yale: táu-lǐ-bù-yán-, syà-dz̀-chéng-syī
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: taurliibuyan, shiahtzyhcherngshi
- Palladius: таолибуянь, сяцзычэнси (taolibujanʹ, sjaczyčɛnsi)
- Sinological IPA (key): /tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
Idiom
桃李不言，下自成蹊
- (figurative) whether a person of true worth say about themself or not, they will ultimately win people's admiration