人必自侮而後人侮之

Chinese
man; person; people
 
certainly; must; will
certainly; must; will; necessarily
 
from; self; oneself
from; self; oneself; since
 insult after that; then man; person; people insult 's; him/her/it; this
trad. (人必自侮而後人侮之) 人 必 自 侮 而後 人 侮 之
simp. (人必自侮而后人侮之) 人 必 自 侮 而后 人 侮 之
alternative forms 人必自侮然後人侮之／人必自侮然后人侮之

Etymology

From Mencius:

夫人必自侮，然後人侮之；家必自毀，而後人毀之；國必自伐，而後人伐之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
夫人必自侮，然后人侮之；家必自毁，而后人毁之；国必自伐，而后人伐之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
Fú rén bì zì wǔ, ránhòu rén wǔ zhī; jiā bì zì huǐ, érhòu rén huǐ zhī; guó bì zì fá, érhòu rén fá zhī. [Pinyin]
A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him. A family must first destroy itself, and then others will destroy it. A State must first smite itself, and then others will smite it.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): rén bì zìwǔ érhòu rén wǔ zhī
    (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄗˋ ㄨˇ ㄦˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄨˇ ㄓ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): jan4 bit1 zi6 mou5 ji4 hau6 jan4 mou5 zi1
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: rén bì zìwǔ érhòu rén wǔ zhī
      • Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄗˋ ㄨˇ ㄦˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄨˇ ㄓ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: rén bì zìhwǔ érhòu rén wǔ jhih
      • Wade–Giles: jên2 pi4 tzŭ4-wu3 êrh2-hou4 jên2 wu3 chih1
      • Yale: rén bì dz̀-wǔ ér-hòu rén wǔ jr̄
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ren bih tzyhwuu erlhow ren wuu jy
      • Palladius: жэнь би цзыу эрхоу жэнь у чжи (žɛnʹ bi czyu erxou žɛnʹ u čži)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /ʐən³⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/
  • Cantonese

Proverb

人必自侮而後人侮之

  1. One is humiliated by others always because one has brought humiliation upon oneself first.

See also
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