心悅誠服

Chinese

		heart; mind	pleased	to be completely convinced; to sincerely admire; to submit sincerely
trad. (心悅誠服)		心	悅	誠服
simp. (心悦诚服)		心	悦	诚服

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑上》):

以力服人者，非心服也，力不贍也；以德服人者，中心悅而誠服也，如七十子之服孔子也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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以力服人者，非心服也，力不赡也；以德服人者，中心悦而诚服也，如七十子之服孔子也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yǐ lì fú rén zhě, fēi xīn fú yě, lì bù shàn yě; yǐ dé fú rén zhě, zhōngxīn yuè ér chéngfú yě, rú qīshí zǐ zhī fú Kǒngzǐ yě. [Pinyin]

When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit, because their strength is not adequate to resist. When one subdues men by virtue, in their hearts' core they are pleased, and sincerely submit, as was the case with the seventy disciples in their submission to Confucius.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xīnyuèchéngfú

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄣ ㄩㄝˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄈㄨˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sam¹ jyut⁶ sing⁴ fuk⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xīnyuèchéngfú
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄣ ㄩㄝˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄈㄨˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sinyuèchéngfú
    • Wade–Giles: hsin¹-yüeh⁴-chʻêng²-fu²
    • Yale: syīn-ywè-chéng-fú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shinyuehcherngfwu
    • Palladius: синьюэчэнфу (sinʹjuečɛnfu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕin⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ fu³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sam¹ jyut⁶ sing⁴ fuk⁶
    • Yale: sām yuht sìhng fuhk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sam¹ jyt⁹ sing⁴ fuk⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sem¹ yud⁶ xing⁴ fug⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɐm⁵⁵ jyːt̚² sɪŋ²¹ fʊk̚²/

Idiom

心悅誠服

1. to be sincerely convinced; to sincerely admire; to submit willingly