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择善而从
择善而从
择善而从
择善而从
择善而从
择善而从
择善而从
择善而从

择善而从 — “To choose what is good and follow it”

择善而从 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to choose what is good and follow it”. To learn from good examples and act accordingly. Literally, “Choose good and follow”.

Frequency

择善而从 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 择zé
  • 善shàn
  • 而ér
  • 从cóng

择善而从 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
择
zé8pick, choose, select
善
shàn12good kind skillful
而
ér6and, but, then
从
cóng4to follow or comply

Example Sentence with 择善而从

在学习和生活中,我们应该择善而从,不断提升自己。
In our studies and daily lives, we should choose what is good and follow it, continuously improving ourselves.

Origin and Story of 择善而从

During the Spring and Autumn period, Wei Xianzi, a powerful minister, divided the territory of the Qi clan into seven counties and that of the Yangshe clan into three, subsequently appointing and promoting local officials.

He intended to employ Wei Wu but worried about accusations of favoritism.

He consulted Grand Master Cheng Chuan, who stated that as long as a person possessed talent and virtue, kinship should not be a factor. The key was whether they could choose what is good and follow it, and administer rewards and punishments justly and clearly.

Idioms Related to 择善而从

Synonyms of 择善而从

  • cóng从shàn善rú如liú流readily accept good advice
  • qǔ取cháng长bǔ补duǎn短learn from others' strengths to offset weaknesses
  • jiàn见xián贤sī思qí齐Emulate the wise and virtuous

Antonyms of 择善而从

  • tóng同liú流hé合wū污associate with bad people and do evil
  • chuī吹máo毛qiú求cī疵to nitpick and find fault unnecessarily
  • hàng沆xiè瀣yī一qì气collude for sinister purposes

More idioms starting with 择

  • zé择zhǔ主ér而shì事choose a worthy master to serve
  • zé择jiāo交ér而yǒu友choose friends carefully
  • zé择rén人rèn任shì势choose talent and leverage trends
  • zé择rén人ér而shì事choose a good person to serve
  • zé择yōu优lù录qǔ取select the best for admission
  • zé择qí其shàn善zhě者ér而cóng从zhī之Learn from good examples
  • zé择lì利xíng行quán权act pragmatically and expediently
  • zé择shàn善gù固zhí执persist in choosing the good
  • zé择shàn善ér而xíng行choose good and act
  • zé择dì地ér而dǎo蹈act with extreme caution
  • zé择mù木ér而chù处choose a suitable master or environment
  • zé择mù木ér而qī栖choose a suitable place to settle

Questions about 择善而从

What does 择善而从 mean?
择善而从 (zé shàn ér cóng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to choose what is good and follow it”.
How do you pronounce 择善而从?
择善而从 is pronounced zé shàn ér cóng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 择善而从 literally mean?
Literally, 择善而从 means “Choose good and follow”. It is used to mean “to choose what is good and follow it”.
Where does 择善而从 come from?
择善而从 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 择善而从?
从:追随,引伸为学习。指选择好的学,按照好的做。
Copy the pinyin for 择善而从 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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