返璞歸真

Chinese

		to return to the original state; to die
trad. (返璞歸真/返璞歸眞)	返璞	歸真/歸眞
simp. (返璞归真)	返璞	归真
alternative forms	反璞歸真／反璞归真返樸歸真／返朴归真

Etymology

From the Zhanguo Ce (戰國策) Book XI, the fourth chapter on Qi (齊策四).

斶知足矣。歸真反璞，則終身不辱。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

斶知足矣。归真反璞，则终身不辱。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Zhanguo Ce, circa 5^th – 3^rd centuries BCE

Chù zhīzú yǐ. Guī zhēn fǎn pú, zé zhōngshēn bù rǔ. [Pinyin]

Yan Chu is content with his own. He returns to the true condition of a human being — like uncarved jade. By this, nothing can ever debase him as long as he lives.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): fǎnpúguīzhēn

(Zhuyin): ㄈㄢˇ ㄆㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄟㄓㄣ
Cantonese (Jyutping): faan² pok³ gwai¹ zan¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: fǎnpúguīzhēn
  - Zhuyin: ㄈㄢˇ ㄆㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄟㄓㄣ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: fǎnpúgueijhen
  - Wade–Giles: fan³-pʻu²-kuei¹-chên¹
  - Yale: fǎn-pú-gwēi-jēn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: faanpwugueijen
  - Palladius: фаньпугуйчжэнь (fanʹpugujčžɛnʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰu³⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: faan² pok³ gwai¹ zan¹
  - Yale: fáan pok gwāi jān
  - Cantonese Pinyin: faan² pok⁸ gwai¹ dzan¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: fan² pog³ guei¹ zen¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /faːn³⁵ pʰɔːk̚³ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sɐn⁵⁵/

Idiom

返璞歸真

to return to the original simple, unadorned state

Synonyms

歸真返璞／归真返璞

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