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用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏
用之则行,舍之则藏

用之则行,舍之则藏 — “To serve when called upon and retire when not needed”

用之则行,舍之则藏 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to serve when called upon and retire when not needed”. To be flexible and adaptable in one's career or public service, taking on responsibilities when opportunities arise and withdrawing gracefully when they don't. Literally, “If employed, act; if discarded, hide”.

Frequency

用之则行,舍之则藏 Pronunciation and Pinyin

用之则行,舍之则藏 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
用
yòng5to use or employ
之
zhī4possessive or connective particle
则
zé6then, in that case
行
xíng6to walk, act, or a line
,,—
舍
shě8house, give way
之
zhī4possessive or connective particle
则
zé6then, in that case
藏
cáng18to hide or store

Example Sentence with 用之则行,舍之则藏

他对待工作一直秉持着"用之则行,舍之则藏"的态度,有适合自己的机会便全力以赴,没有则潜心学习
He has always maintained the attitude of "serving when called upon and withdrawing when not needed" towards work; if there's a suitable opportunity, he goes all out, otherwise, he dedicates himself to learning.

Idioms Related to 用之则行,舍之则藏

Synonyms of 用之则行,舍之则藏

  • yòng用shě舍xíng行cáng藏serve or retire as appropriate
  • yòng用xíng行shě舍cáng藏serve when employed, withdraw when not

More idioms starting with 用

  • yòng用yī一dāng当shí十exceptionally capable or efficient
  • yòng用zhī之bù不jié竭inexhaustible supply
  • yòng用rén人bù不yí疑,,yí疑rén人bù不yòng用Trust who you employ; don't employ who you distrust
  • yòng用bīng兵rú如shén神command troops with extraordinary skill
  • yòng用qí其suǒ所cháng长utilize one's strengths
  • yòng用xià夏biàn变yí夷Assimilate less developed cultures with advanced culture
  • yòng用tiān天yīn因dì地utilize favorable timing and adapt to conditions
  • yòng用jìn尽xīn心jī机rack one's brains
  • yòng用jìn尽jī机guān关exhaust all schemes and stratagems
  • yòng用xīn心yòng用yì意apply oneself wholeheartedly and diligently
  • yòng用xīn心jié竭lì力exert utmost effort and thought
  • yòng用xīn心liáng良kǔ苦take great pains with good intentions

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Questions about 用之则行,舍之则藏

What does 用之则行,舍之则藏 mean?

用之则行,舍之则藏 (yòng zhī zé xíng , shě zhī zé cáng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to serve when called upon and retire when not needed”.

How do you pronounce 用之则行,舍之则藏?

用之则行,舍之则藏 is pronounced yòng zhī zé xíng , shě zhī zé cáng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 用之则行,舍之则藏 literally mean?

Literally, 用之则行,舍之则藏 means “If employed, act; if discarded, hide”. It is used to mean “to serve when called upon and retire when not needed”.

What is the Chinese definition of 用之则行,舍之则藏?

用:任用;行:做,实行;舍:不用;藏:退隐。任用就出来做事,不得任用就退隐

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