無所不至

Chinese

not have actually; place; (nominalization prefix) not; no
 
arrive; most; to
arrive; most; to; until
trad. (無所不至)
simp. (无所不至)

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):

子曰:「無所不至。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
子曰:「无所不至。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Zǐyuē: “Bǐ fū! Kě yǔ shì jūn yě yǔ zāi? Qí wèi dé zhī yě, huàn dé zhī; jì dé zhī, huàn shī zhī. Gǒu huàn shī zhī, wú suǒ bù zhì yǐ.” [Pinyin]
The Master said, "There are those mean creatures! How impossible it is along with them to serve one's prince! While they have not got their aims, their anxiety is how to get them. When they have got them, their anxiety is lest they should lose them. When they are anxious lest such things should be lost, there is nothing to which they will not proceed."

Pronunciation


Idiom

無所不至

  1. to penetrate everywhere
  2. to spare no pains (to do evil); to be capable of anything; to stop at nothing

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (無所不至):
  • Korean: 무소부지(無所不至) (musobuji)
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