勞心者治人，勞力者治於人

Chinese
to labor with one's mind; to use one's brain to work ‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)
 
to rule; to govern; to manage
to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); cure; treatment; to heal
 man; person; people labour; manpower ‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does sth)
 
to rule; to govern; to manage
to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); cure; treatment; to heal
 
in; at; to
in; at; to; from; by; than; out of; surname
 man; person; people
trad. (勞心者治人，勞力者治於人) 勞心 者 治 人 ， 勞力 者 治 於 人
simp. (劳心者治人，劳力者治于人) 劳心 者 治 人 ， 劳力 者 治 于 人

Etymology

From Mencius:

然則治天下獨可耕且為與？有大人之事，有小人之事。且一人之身，而百工之所為備。如必自為而後用之，是率天下而路也。故曰：或勞心，或勞力；勞心者治人，勞力者治於人；治於人者食人，治人者食於人：天下之通義也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
然则治天下独可耕且为与？有大人之事，有小人之事。且一人之身，而百工之所为备。如必自为而后用之，是率天下而路也。故曰：或劳心，或劳力；劳心者治人，劳力者治于人；治于人者食人，治人者食于人：天下之通义也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
Ránzé zhì tiānxià dú kě gēng qiě wéi yú? Yǒu dàrén zhī shì, yǒu xiǎorén zhī shì. Qiě yīrén zhī shēn, ér bǎigōng zhī suǒ wèi bèi. Rú bì zì wéi ér hòu yòng zhī, shì shuài tiānxià ér lù yě. Gù yuē: huò láoxīn, huò láolì; láoxīn zhě zhì rén, láolì zhě zhì yú rén; zhì yú rén zhě sì rén, zhì rén zhě sì yú rén: tiānxià zhī tōngyì yě. [Pinyin]
Then, is it the government of the kingdom which alone can be carried on along with the practice of husbandry? Great men have their proper business, and little men have their proper business. Moreover, in the case of any single individual, whatever articles he can require are ready to his hand, being produced by the various handicraftsmen - if he must first make them for his own use, this way of doing would keep all the people running about upon the roads. Hence, there is the saying, "Some labour with their minds, and some labour with their strength. Those who labour with their minds govern others; those who labour with their strength are governed by others. Those who are governed by others support them; those who govern others are supported by them. This is a principle universally recognised.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): láoxīnzhězhìrén, láolìzhězhìyúrén
    (Zhuyin): ㄌㄠˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄓㄜˇ ㄓˋ ㄖㄣˊ , ㄌㄠˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄓˋ ㄩˊ ㄖㄣˊ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): lou4 sam1 ze2 zi6 jan4, lou4 lik6 ze2 zi6 jyu1 jan4
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: láoxīnzhězhìrén, láolìzhězhìyúrén
      • Zhuyin: ㄌㄠˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄓㄜˇ ㄓˋ ㄖㄣˊ , ㄌㄠˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄓˋ ㄩˊ ㄖㄣˊ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: láosinjhějhìhrén, láolìjhějhìhyúrén
      • Wade–Giles: lao2-hsin1-chê3-chih4-jên2, lao2-li4-chê3-chih4-yü2-jên2
      • Yale: láu-syīn-jě-jr̀-rén-, láu-lì-jě-jr̀-yú-rén
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: laushinjeejyhren, laulihjeejyhyuren
      • Palladius: лаосиньчжэчжижэнь, лаоличжэчжиюйжэнь (laosinʹčžɛčžižɛnʹ, laoličžɛčžijujžɛnʹ)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /lɑʊ̯³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ lɑʊ̯³⁵ li⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ y³⁵ ʐən³⁵/
  • Cantonese
    • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
      • Jyutping: lou4 sam1 ze2 zi6 jan4, lou4 lik6 ze2 zi6 jyu1 jan4
      • Yale: lòuh sām jé jih yàhn, lòuh lihk jé jih yū yàhn
      • Cantonese Pinyin: lou4 sam1 dze2 dzi6 jan4, lou4 lik9 dze2 dzi6 jy1 jan4
      • Guangdong Romanization: lou4 sem1 zé2 ji6 yen4, lou4 lig6 zé2 ji6 yu1 yen4
      • Sinological IPA (key): /lou̯²¹ sɐm⁵⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ t͡siː²² jɐn²¹ lou̯²¹ lɪk̚² t͡sɛː³⁵ t͡siː²² jyː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

Proverb

勞心者治人，勞力者治於人

  1. Those who labour with their minds govern others; those who labour with their strength are governed by others.
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