諺語 · a single proverb
大義滅親
Simplified: 大义灭亲
What does 大義滅親 (dà yì miè qīn) mean?
大義滅親 (dà yì miè qīn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "great righteousness overrides kinship." In use it means: When moral duty conflicts with family loyalty, principle must come first; the hardest right thing is the one that costs you a relationship. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "great righteousness overrides kinship."
The reading
He turned in his own brother. Not because he did not love him, but because what his brother was doing would harm a hundred people he also loved. The cost is personal and permanent. The alternative was worse. Some moral decisions do not have a comfortable option. They just have a right one.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zuozhuan 左傳, Yin Gong 隱公 4th year, Shi Que 石碏
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 大義滅親 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 大義滅親 (dà yì miè qīn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zuozhuan 左傳, Yin Gong 隱公 4th year, Shi Que 石碏. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 大義滅親?
In Mandarin it is dà yì miè qīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 大義滅親 aloud in Mandarin.