"左右逢源" meaning in Chinese

See 左右逢源 in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Phrase

IPA: /t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/ [Mandarin, Sinological-IPA], /t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² fʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/ [Cantonese, Sinological-IPA], /t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/, /t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² fʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/ Chinese transliterations: zuǒyòuféngyuán [Mandarin, Pinyin], ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄈㄥˊ ㄩㄢˊ [Mandarin, bopomofo], zo² jau⁶ fung⁴ jyun⁴ [Cantonese, Jyutping], zuǒyòuféngyuán [Hanyu-Pinyin, Mandarin], zuǒyòufóngyuán [Mandarin, Tongyong-Pinyin], tso³-yu⁴-fêng²-yüan² [Mandarin, Wade-Giles], dzwǒ-yòu-féng-ywán [Mandarin, Yale], tzuooyowferngyuan [Gwoyeu-Romatsyh, Mandarin], цзоюфэнъюань [Mandarin, Palladius], czojufɛnʺjuanʹ [Mandarin, Palladius], jó yauh fùhng yùhn [Cantonese, Yale], dzo² jau⁶ fung⁴ jyn⁴ [Cantonese, Pinyin], zo² yeo⁶ fung⁴ yun⁴ [Cantonese, Guangdong-Romanization] Forms: 左右逢原
Etymology: From Mencius (《孟子·離婁下》) Etymology templates: {{lang|zh|(《孟子·離婁下》)}} (《孟子·離婁下》) Head templates: {{head|zh|idiom}} 左右逢源
  1. (figurative) to be able to achieve success one way or another; to have everything going one's way Tags: figuratively, idiomatic
    Sense id: en-左右逢源-zh-phrase-QGkN~2ZQ Categories (other): Chinese chengyu, Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius, Chinese entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of Chinese chengyu: 55 45 Disambiguation of Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius: 45 55 Disambiguation of Chinese entries with incorrect language header: 71 29 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 72 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 75 25
  2. (figurative) to butter one's bread on both sides; to be tactful and win advantage from both sides Tags: figuratively, idiomatic
    Sense id: en-左右逢源-zh-phrase-VXNm2yPn Categories (other): Chinese chengyu, Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius Disambiguation of Chinese chengyu: 55 45 Disambiguation of Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius: 45 55
{
  "etymology_examples": [
    {
      "english": "Mencius said, \"The superior man makes his advances in what he is learning with deep earnestness and by the proper course, wishing to get hold of it as in himself. Having got hold of it in himself, he abides in it calmly and firmly. Abiding in it calmly and firmly, he reposes a deep reliance on it. Reposing a deep reliance on it, he seizes it on the left and right, meeting everywhere with it as a fountain from which things flow. It is on this account that the superior man wishes to get hold of what he is learning as in himself.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Mèngzǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ shēnzào zhī yǐ dào, yù qí zì dé zhī yě. Zì dé zhī, zé jū zhī ān; jū zhī ān, zé zī zhī shēn; zī zhī shēn, zé qǔ zhī zuǒyòu féng qí yuán, gù jūnzǐ yù qí zì dé zhī yě.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "孟子曰:「君子深造之以道,欲其自得之也。自得之,則居之安;居之安,則資之深;資之深,則取之左右逢其原,故君子欲其自得之也。」",
      "type": "quote"
    },
    {
      "english": "Mencius said, \"The superior man makes his advances in what he is learning with deep earnestness and by the proper course, wishing to get hold of it as in himself. Having got hold of it in himself, he abides in it calmly and firmly. Abiding in it calmly and firmly, he reposes a deep reliance on it. Reposing a deep reliance on it, he seizes it on the left and right, meeting everywhere with it as a fountain from which things flow. It is on this account that the superior man wishes to get hold of what he is learning as in himself.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Mèngzǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ shēnzào zhī yǐ dào, yù qí zì dé zhī yě. Zì dé zhī, zé jū zhī ān; jū zhī ān, zé zī zhī shēn; zī zhī shēn, zé qǔ zhī zuǒyòu féng qí yuán, gù jūnzǐ yù qí zì dé zhī yě.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "孟子曰:「君子深造之以道,欲其自得之也。自得之,则居之安;居之安,则资之深;资之深,则取之左右逢其原,故君子欲其自得之也。」",
      "type": "quote"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "(《孟子·離婁下》)"
      },
      "expansion": "(《孟子·離婁下》)",
      "name": "lang"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Mencius (《孟子·離婁下》)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "左右逢原"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "idiom"
      },
      "expansion": "左右逢源",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Chinese",
  "lang_code": "zh",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese chengyu",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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        {
          "_dis": "72 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "75 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to be able to achieve success one way or another; to have everything going one's way"
      ],
      "id": "en-左右逢源-zh-phrase-QGkN~2ZQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "able",
          "able"
        ],
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "success",
          "success"
        ],
        [
          "one way or another",
          "one way or another"
        ],
        [
          "everything",
          "everything"
        ],
        [
          "go",
          "go"
        ],
        [
          "way",
          "way"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) to be able to achieve success one way or another; to have everything going one's way"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "55 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese chengyu",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 55",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to butter one's bread on both sides; to be tactful and win advantage from both sides"
      ],
      "id": "en-左右逢源-zh-phrase-VXNm2yPn",
      "links": [
        [
          "butter one's bread on both sides",
          "butter one's bread on both sides"
        ],
        [
          "tactful",
          "tactful"
        ],
        [
          "win",
          "win"
        ],
        [
          "advantage",
          "advantage"
        ],
        [
          "side",
          "side"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) to butter one's bread on both sides; to be tactful and win advantage from both sides"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zuǒyòuféngyuán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄈㄥˊ ㄩㄢˊ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Jyutping"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zo² jau⁶ fung⁴ jyun⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zuǒyòuféngyuán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zuǒyòufóngyuán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "tso³-yu⁴-fêng²-yüan²"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "dzwǒ-yòu-féng-ywán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "tzuooyowferngyuan"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "цзоюфэнъюань"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "czojufɛnʺjuanʹ"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/",
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "jó yauh fùhng yùhn"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "dzo² jau⁶ fung⁴ jyn⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Guangdong-Romanization"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zo² yeo⁶ fung⁴ yun⁴"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² fʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/",
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² fʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Mencius (book)"
  ],
  "word": "左右逢源"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Chinese chengyu",
    "Chinese chengyu derived from Mencius",
    "Chinese entries with incorrect language header",
    "Chinese idioms",
    "Chinese lemmas",
    "Chinese terms spelled with 右",
    "Chinese terms spelled with 左",
    "Chinese terms spelled with 源",
    "Chinese terms spelled with 逢",
    "Chinese terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_examples": [
    {
      "english": "Mencius said, \"The superior man makes his advances in what he is learning with deep earnestness and by the proper course, wishing to get hold of it as in himself. Having got hold of it in himself, he abides in it calmly and firmly. Abiding in it calmly and firmly, he reposes a deep reliance on it. Reposing a deep reliance on it, he seizes it on the left and right, meeting everywhere with it as a fountain from which things flow. It is on this account that the superior man wishes to get hold of what he is learning as in himself.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Traditional Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Mèngzǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ shēnzào zhī yǐ dào, yù qí zì dé zhī yě. Zì dé zhī, zé jū zhī ān; jū zhī ān, zé zī zhī shēn; zī zhī shēn, zé qǔ zhī zuǒyòu féng qí yuán, gù jūnzǐ yù qí zì dé zhī yě.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "孟子曰:「君子深造之以道,欲其自得之也。自得之,則居之安;居之安,則資之深;資之深,則取之左右逢其原,故君子欲其自得之也。」",
      "type": "quote"
    },
    {
      "english": "Mencius said, \"The superior man makes his advances in what he is learning with deep earnestness and by the proper course, wishing to get hold of it as in himself. Having got hold of it in himself, he abides in it calmly and firmly. Abiding in it calmly and firmly, he reposes a deep reliance on it. Reposing a deep reliance on it, he seizes it on the left and right, meeting everywhere with it as a fountain from which things flow. It is on this account that the superior man wishes to get hold of what he is learning as in himself.\"",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Classical Chinese",
        "Simplified Chinese"
      ],
      "ref": " Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version",
      "roman": "Mèngzǐ yuē: “Jūnzǐ shēnzào zhī yǐ dào, yù qí zì dé zhī yě. Zì dé zhī, zé jū zhī ān; jū zhī ān, zé zī zhī shēn; zī zhī shēn, zé qǔ zhī zuǒyòu féng qí yuán, gù jūnzǐ yù qí zì dé zhī yě.”",
      "tags": [
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "text": "孟子曰:「君子深造之以道,欲其自得之也。自得之,则居之安;居之安,则资之深;资之深,则取之左右逢其原,故君子欲其自得之也。」",
      "type": "quote"
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  "etymology_templates": [
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        "2": "(《孟子·離婁下》)"
      },
      "expansion": "(《孟子·離婁下》)",
      "name": "lang"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Mencius (《孟子·離婁下》)",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "左右逢原"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "zh",
        "2": "idiom"
      },
      "expansion": "左右逢源",
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  ],
  "lang": "Chinese",
  "lang_code": "zh",
  "pos": "phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to be able to achieve success one way or another; to have everything going one's way"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "able",
          "able"
        ],
        [
          "achieve",
          "achieve"
        ],
        [
          "success",
          "success"
        ],
        [
          "one way or another",
          "one way or another"
        ],
        [
          "everything",
          "everything"
        ],
        [
          "go",
          "go"
        ],
        [
          "way",
          "way"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) to be able to achieve success one way or another; to have everything going one's way"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "to butter one's bread on both sides; to be tactful and win advantage from both sides"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "butter one's bread on both sides",
          "butter one's bread on both sides"
        ],
        [
          "tactful",
          "tactful"
        ],
        [
          "win",
          "win"
        ],
        [
          "advantage",
          "advantage"
        ],
        [
          "side",
          "side"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(figurative) to butter one's bread on both sides; to be tactful and win advantage from both sides"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "figuratively",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zuǒyòuféngyuán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "bopomofo"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "ㄗㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄡˋ ㄈㄥˊ ㄩㄢˊ"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Jyutping"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zo² jau⁶ fung⁴ jyun⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Hanyu-Pinyin",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zuǒyòuféngyuán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Tongyong-Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zuǒyòufóngyuán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Wade-Giles"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "tso³-yu⁴-fêng²-yüan²"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "dzwǒ-yòu-féng-ywán"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Gwoyeu-Romatsyh",
        "Mandarin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "tzuooyowferngyuan"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "цзоюфэнъюань"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Palladius"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "czojufɛnʺjuanʹ"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/",
      "tags": [
        "Mandarin",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Yale"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "jó yauh fùhng yùhn"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Pinyin"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "dzo² jau⁶ fung⁴ jyn⁴"
    },
    {
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Guangdong-Romanization"
      ],
      "zh-pron": "zo² yeo⁶ fung⁴ yun⁴"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² fʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/",
      "tags": [
        "Cantonese",
        "Sinological-IPA"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡sɔː³⁵ jɐu̯²² fʊŋ²¹ jyːn²¹/"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Mencius (book)"
  ],
  "word": "左右逢源"
}

Download raw JSONL data for 左右逢源 meaning in Chinese (5.3kB)

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  "path": [
    "左右逢源"
  ],
  "section": "Chinese",
  "subsection": "",
  "title": "左右逢源",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "pronunciations/296/20230324",
  "msg": "Zh-pron header not found in zh_pron_tags or tags: '(Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺'",
  "path": [
    "左右逢源"
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  "section": "Chinese",
  "subsection": "",
  "title": "左右逢源",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Chinese dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (05fdf6b and 9dbd323). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.