諺語 · a single proverb
以直報怨，以德報德
What does 以直報怨，以德報德 (yǐ zhí bào yuàn yǐ dé bào dé) mean?
以直報怨，以德報德 (yǐ zhí bào yuàn yǐ dé bào dé) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "repay resentment with straightforwardness, repay virtue with virtue." In use it means: Meet grievances with honest fairness, not with hatred or excess; return kindness for kindness. 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 Dog.
Literally: "repay resentment with straightforwardness, repay virtue with virtue."
The reading
Confucius was asked whether one should repay injury with kindness, and he said no: repay injury with straightforwardness, and kindness with kindness. The distinction matters. To respond to wrong with undifferentiated goodness is to erase the difference between wrong and right. Honest uprightness-seeing clearly what happened and responding without distortion in either direction-is what justice looks like in daily life.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects of Confucius 論語·憲問 (Xiàn Wèn XIV)
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 以直報怨，以德報德 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 以直報怨，以德報德 (yǐ zhí bào yuàn yǐ dé bào dé) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·憲問 (Xiàn Wèn XIV). 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 以直報怨，以德報德?
In Mandarin it is yǐ zhí bào yuàn yǐ dé bào dé. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 以直報怨，以德報德 aloud in Mandarin.