天網恢恢,疏而不漏

Chinese

natural law negligent; sparse; thin
 
and; as well as; but (not)
and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)
not; no
 
funnel; to leak; to let out
funnel; to leak; to let out; to divulge
trad. (天網恢恢,疏而不漏) 天網恢恢
simp. (天网恢恢,疏而不漏) 天网恢恢
Literally: “The law of nature is like a giant web, although sparsely meshed, nothing could slip through.”

Etymology

From the 73rd chapter of the Tao Te Ching:

繟然天網恢恢 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
𦈎然天网恢恢 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Tao Te Ching, 4th century BCE
Tiān zhī dào, bù zhēng ér shàn shèng, bù yìng ér shàn yìng, bù zhào ér zì lái, chánrán ér shàn móu. Tiānwǎnghuīhuī, shū ér bù shī. [Pinyin]
The Tao of Nature, does not contend, yet easily wins, does not speak, yet always responds, does not summon, yet all things gather, does not contemplate as if at ease, yet all plans were devised perfectly. The law of nature is like a giant web, although sparsely meshed, nothing could slip through.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): tiānwǎnghuīhuī, shū'érbùlòu
    (Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢ ㄨㄤˇ ㄏㄨㄟ ㄏㄨㄟ , ㄕㄨ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄡˋ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): tin1 mong5 fui1 fui1, so1 ji4 bat1 lau6

  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: tiānwǎnghuīhuī, shū'érbùlòu [Phonetic: tiānwǎnghuīhuī, shū'érlòu]
      • Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢ ㄨㄤˇ ㄏㄨㄟ ㄏㄨㄟ , ㄕㄨ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄡˋ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: tianwǎnghueihuei, shu-érbùlòu
      • Wade–Giles: tʻien1-wang3-hui1-hui1, shu1-êrh2-pu4-lou4
      • Yale: tyān-wǎng-hwēi-hwēi-, shū-ér-bù-lòu
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tianwoanghueihuei, shuerlbulow
      • Palladius: тяньванхуэйхуэй, шуэрбулоу (tjanʹvanxuejxuej, šuerbulou)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ loʊ̯⁵¹/
  • Cantonese

Proverb

天網恢恢,疏而不漏

  1. lawbreakers will always be arrested and punished

Descendants

  • Japanese: 天網恢恢疎にして漏らさず (tenmō kaikai so ni shite morasazu) (calque)
  • Vietnamese: lưới trời lồng lộng, tuy thưa mà khó thoát (calque)
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