未知生，焉知死

Chinese

		not yet; 8th earthly branch; 1–3 p.m.	to know; to be aware	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw		where; how	to know; to be aware	to die; impassable; uncrossable to die; impassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid
trad. (未知生，焉知死)		未	知	生	，	焉	知	死
simp. #(未知生，焉知死)		未	知	生	，	焉	知	死

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 11 (《論語·先進》):

季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」敢問死。曰：「未知生，焉知死？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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季路问事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」敢问死。曰：「未知生，焉知死？」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Jìlù wèn shì guǐshén. Zǐyuē: “Wèi néng shì rén, yān néng shì guǐ?” Gǎnwèn sǐ. Yuē: “Wèi zhī shēng, yān zhī sǐ?” [Pinyin]

Jilu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, "While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?" Ji Lu added, "I venture to ask about death?" He was answered, "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?"

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wèi zhī shēng, yān zhī sǐ

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˋ ㄓ ㄕㄥ , ㄧㄢ ㄓ ㄙˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wèi zhī shēng, yān zhī sǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˋ ㄓ ㄕㄥ , ㄧㄢ ㄓ ㄙˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wèi jhih sheng, yan jhih sǐh
    • Wade–Giles: wei⁴ chih¹ shêng¹, yen¹ chih¹ ssŭ³
    • Yale: wèi jr̄ shēng-, yān jr̄ sž
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: wey jy sheng, ian jy syy
    • Palladius: вэй чжи шэн, янь чжи сы (vɛj čži šɛn, janʹ čži sy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

未知生，焉知死

1. While you do not know life, how can you know about death?