諺語 · a single proverb
見義思義
Simplified: 见义思义
What does 見義思義 (jiàn yì sī yì) mean?
見義思義 (jiàn yì sī yì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "when you see what is right, think of doing right." In use it means: Recognizing the right thing to do obliges you to act; moral awareness demands moral action. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "when you see what is right, think of doing right."
The reading
Seeing the right thing and walking past it is a different kind of blindness. The eyes worked. The conscience worked. The legs did not. Knowing what is right and doing what is right are separated by the smallest distance in theory and the largest distance in practice. Close the gap one step at a time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語, Book 2 (Wei Zheng 為政, ch. 24)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 見義思義 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 見義思義 (jiàn yì sī yì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Analects 論語, Book 2 (Wei Zheng 為政, ch. 24). 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 見義思義?
In Mandarin it is jiàn yì sī yì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 見義思義 aloud in Mandarin.