愚不可及

Chinese

		stupid	cannot; should not; must not	to reach; and
trad. (愚不可及)		愚	不可	及
simp. ^#(愚不可及)		愚	不可	及

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 5 (《論語·公冶長》). The modern meaning is a reinterpretation.

甯武子，邦有道則知；邦無道則愚。其知可及也，其愚不可及也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

甯武子，邦有道则知；邦无道则愚。其知可及也，其愚不可及也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Nìng Wǔ Zǐ, bāng yǒudào zé zhì; bāng wúdào zé yú. Qí zhì kě jí yě, qí yú bùkě jí yě. [Pinyin]

Lord Wu of Ning (甯武子) was wise when the state was ruled by justice. He became foolish when the state was ruled by injustice. Others may be as good a wise man as he was, but never as good a fool as he was.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yúbùkějí

(Zhuyin): ㄩˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄧˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ bat¹ ho² kap⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yúbùkějí
  - Zhuyin: ㄩˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄧˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yúbùkějí
  - Wade–Giles: yü²-pu⁴-kʻo³-chi²
  - Yale: yú-bù-kě-jí
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yubukeejyi
  - Palladius: юйбукэцзи (jujbukɛczi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: jyu⁴ bat¹ ho² kap⁶
  - Yale: yùh bāt hó kahp
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ bat⁷ ho² kap⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ bed¹ ho² keb⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ kʰɐp̚²/

Idiom

愚不可及

(idiomatic) very stupid; stupid beyond reach

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