DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

勤則不匱

简勤则不匮 · 繁勤則不匱

Mandarin · pinyin qín zé bù kuì

If one is industrious, one will not be in want. (idiom)

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

勤: qín · industrious, diligent, attentive
則: Look up this written character
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
匱: Look up this written character
则: zé · rule, law, regulation; grades
匮: kuì · to lack

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

2–2–4–4 · qin2 ze2 bu4 kui4

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

勤則不匱 · find source passages ↗ · 勤则不匮 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗