








孝悌忠信 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Filial piety towards parents”. Respect for elders and siblings, loyalty to one's duties or community, and trustworthiness in friendships. These are fundamental moral principles traditionally emphasized in Chinese culture for cultivating personal character and maintaining harmonious social relationships. Literally, “Filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, and trustworthiness”.
During the Warring States period, King Hui of Liang asked Mencius why the state of Wei, once powerful, was now bullied by Qin during his reign.
Mencius explained that the king had not implemented benevolent governance, and the common people had not received real benefits. Consequently, they wouldn't naturally understand or practice the moral principles of filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, and trustworthiness. How could such a state resist the well-armed Qin?
In contrast, the state of Qin allowed its people to gain practical benefits through military service, thus motivating them.

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Open the tool →孝悌忠信 (xiào tì zhōng xìn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Filial piety towards parents”.
孝悌忠信 is pronounced xiào tì zhōng xìn in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 孝悌忠信 means “Filial piety, fraternal duty, loyalty, and trustworthiness”. It is used to mean “Filial piety towards parents”.
孝悌忠信 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
指孝顺父母,尊敬兄长,忠于君主,取信于朋友的封建社会的应具备的道德标准。