嫂溺叔援 — “Sister-in-law drowning, brother-in-law helps”
嫂溺叔援 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to adapt one's actions according to specific circumstances, often implying that conventional rules can be suspended for a greater good or practical necessity; to act flexibly and pragmatically”. Literally, “Sister-in-law drowning, brother-in-law helps”.
嫂溺叔援 Pronunciation and Pinyin
嫂溺叔援 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 嫂溺叔援
Origin and Story of 嫂溺叔援
During the Warring States period, Chunyu Kun, a renowned debater from the State of Qi, once asked the philosopher Mencius: "It is a matter of etiquette for men and women not to pass things directly by hand. But if a sister-in-law is drowning, is it proper etiquette for her brother-in-law to save her with his hand?"
Mencius replied, "That is indeed proper etiquette."
Chunyu Kun then further questioned, "If the whole world were drowning, why would you not save them?"
Mencius responded, "You should save the world with the 'Dao' (the Way or fundamental principles), not simply with your hands."
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Open the tool →Questions about 嫂溺叔援
What does 嫂溺叔援 mean?
嫂溺叔援 (sǎo nì shū yuán) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to adapt one's actions according to specific circumstances, often implying that conventional rules can be suspended for a greater good or practical necessity; to act flexibly and pragmatically”.
How do you pronounce 嫂溺叔援?
嫂溺叔援 is pronounced sǎo nì shū yuán in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 嫂溺叔援 literally mean?
Literally, 嫂溺叔援 means “Sister-in-law drowning, brother-in-law helps”. It is used to mean “to adapt one's actions according to specific circumstances, often implying that conventional rules can be suspended for a greater good or practical necessity; to act flexibly and pragmatically”.
Where does 嫂溺叔援 come from?
嫂溺叔援 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 嫂溺叔援?
比喻视实际情况而变通做法。