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恭敬不如從命

简恭敬不如从命 · 繁恭敬不如從命

Mandarin · pinyin gōng jìng bù rú cóng mìng

deference is no substitute for obedience (idiom)
(said to accept sb's request, invitation etc)

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Characters in this entry

恭: gōng · respectful, polite, reverent
敬: jìng · respect, honor; respectfully
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
如: rú · if, supposing; as if; like, as
從: cóng · from, by, since, whence, through
命: mìng · life; destiny, fate, luck; an order, instruction
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

1–4–4–2–2–4 · gong1 jing4 bu4 ru2 cong2 ming4

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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.

恭敬不如從命 · find source passages ↗ · 恭敬不如从命 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gung1 ging3 bat1 jyu4 cung4 ming6

Cantonese word readings for 恭敬不如從命. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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