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唯命是從

简唯命是从 · 繁唯命是從

Mandarin · pinyin wéi mìng shì cóng

to follow obediently

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Characters in this entry

唯: wéi · only; yes
命: mìng · life; destiny, fate, luck; an order, instruction
是: shì · indeed, yes, right; to be; demonstrative pronoun, this, that
從: cóng · from, by, since, whence, through
从: cóng · from, by, since, whence, through

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

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Mandarin tones

2–4–4–2 · wei2 ming4 shi4 cong2

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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.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to follow orders as if one's life depended on it; to do what one is told without fail

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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