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紆尊降貴

简纡尊降贵 · 繁紆尊降貴

Mandarin · pinyin yū zūn jiàng guì

(idiom) to show deference to sb of lower status; to condescend; to deign

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Characters in this entry

紆: Look up this written character
尊: zūn · respect, revere, venerate; honor
降: jiàng · descend, fall, drop; lower, down
貴: Look up this written character
纡: yū · bend, turn, twist; distort
贵: guì · expensive, costly, valuable

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

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Mandarin tones

1–1–4–4 · yu1 zun1 jiang4 gui4

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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.

紆尊降貴 · find source passages ↗ · 纡尊降贵 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jyu1 zyun1 gong3 gwai3

Cantonese word readings for 紆尊降貴. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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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 condescend; to descend to a less dignified level and act humbly

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

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