内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 — “When recommending from within, one does not fail to recommend one's son; when recommending from outside, one does not fail to recommend one's enemy”
内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to recommend suitable individuals regardless of personal relationship or animosity, demonstrating complete fairness and impartiality in selecting talent”. Literally, “When recommending from within, one does not fail to recommend one's son; when recommending from outside, one does not fail to recommend one's enemy”.
内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 Pronunciation and Pinyin
内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 Character Breakdown
| Character | Pinyin | Strokes | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| nèi | 4 | inside, inner, within | |
| jǔ | 9 | lift, raise, or undertake | |
| bù | 4 | not | |
| shī | 5 | lose, miss, or fail | |
| qí | 8 | its, his, her, their | |
| zi | 3 | son, child, seed, small thing | |
| ， | ， | — | |
| wài | 5 | outside, foreign, unofficial | |
| jǔ | 9 | lift, raise, or undertake | |
| bù | 4 | not | |
| shī | 5 | lose, miss, or fail | |
| qí | 8 | its, his, her, their | |
| chóu | 4 | hatred or enmity |
Example Sentence with 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇
Origin and Story of 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇
During the Spring and Autumn Period, power struggles were intense among the nobles of the Jin State. Fan Xuanzi, a powerful noble, drove out his grandson Luan Ying and executed Luan's associate, Yang Shetuhu.
Later, Dafu Qi Xi requested to retire and return home. When Duke Jing of Jin asked him who was suitable to succeed him, Qi Xi recommended Xie Hu, who was actually his personal enemy. The Duke was surprised but accepted the recommendation.
Then, the Duke asked Qi Xi who could serve as the Commander of the Central Army. This time, Qi Xi recommended his own son, Qi Wu. These two recommendations perfectly exemplified the principle of 'recommending one's son if qualified, and not overlooking an enemy if capable,' showcasing Qi Xi's unwavering impartiality and commitment to merit.
Idioms Related to 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇
Synonyms of 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇
Antonyms of 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇
More idioms starting with 内
- nèi内rén仁wài外yì义benevolent within, righteous without
- nèi内xiū修wài外rǎng攘improve internally, repel externally
- nèi内zhù助zhī之xián贤virtuous wife's excellent support
- nèi内shèng圣wài外wáng王inner sage, outer king
- nèi内wài外jiāo交kùn困beset with internal and external difficulties
- nèi内wài外gōu勾jié结collude internally and externally
- nèi内wài外jiā夹jī击attack from both inside and outside
- nèi内wài外jiā夹gōng攻attack from inside and outside
- nèi内jùn峻wài外hé和stern in disposition but mild in appearance
- nèi内yìng应wài外hé合coordinate from within and without
- nèi内yōu忧wài外wǔ侮internal strife and external aggression
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Open the tool →Questions about 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇
What does 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 mean?
内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 (nèi jǔ bù shī qí zi ， wài jǔ bù shī qí chóu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to recommend suitable individuals regardless of personal relationship or animosity, demonstrating complete fairness and impartiality in selecting talent”.
How do you pronounce 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇?
内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 is pronounced nèi jǔ bù shī qí zi ， wài jǔ bù shī qí chóu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 literally mean?
Literally, 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 means “When recommending from within, one does not fail to recommend one's son; when recommending from outside, one does not fail to recommend one's enemy”. It is used to mean “to recommend suitable individuals regardless of personal relationship or animosity, demonstrating complete fairness and impartiality in selecting talent”.
Where does 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 come from?
内举不失其子，外举不失其仇 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 内举不失其子，外举不失其仇?
举：推荐。举荐身边的人，即使是亲属也不回避；举荐外面的人，即使是仇敌也不躲开。形容办事公正无私