進退有常

简 进退有常 · 繁 進退有常
Mandarin · pinyin jìn tuì yǒu cháng

Meanings

  1. to advance or retreat, each has its rules (idiom from Zhuangzi); many translations are possible
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Characters in this entry

進
jìn · advance, make progress, enter
退
tuì · step back, retreat, withdraw
有
yǒu · have, own, possess; exist
常
cháng · common, normal, frequent, regular
进
jìn · advance, make progress, enter
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4–3–2 · jin4 tui4 you3 chang2

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Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

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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.

進退有常 · find source passages ↗ · 进退有常 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zeon3 teoi3 jau5 soeng4

Cantonese word readings for 進退有常. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

進退有常 · jin4 tui4 you3 chang2
CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG · edition 2026-10-13 · source line 108,345
Original dictionary · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source & transformation details
Exact source record進退有常 进退有常 [jin4 tui4 you3 chang2] /to advance or retreat, each has its rules (idiom from Zhuangzi); many translations are possible/