人而無信，不知其可

See also: 人而无信，不知其可

Chinese

		man; person; people	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	not have	letter; true; to believe letter; true; to believe; sign; evidence		not; no	to know; to be aware	his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to sth preceding it)	can; may; able to can; may; able to; certain(ly); to suit; (particle used for emphasis)
trad. (人而無信，不知其可)		人	而	無	信	，	不	知	其	可
simp. (人而无信，不知其可)		人	而	无	信	，	不	知	其	可

Etymology

A quote from the Analects of Confucius.

Literally: If a man has no honesty, it cannot be known what he can be suitable for.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): rén ér wú xìn, bù zhī qí kě

  (Zhuyin): ㄖㄣˊ ㄦˊ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄑㄧˊ ㄎㄜˇ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: rén ér wú xìn, bù zhī qí kě
    • Zhuyin: ㄖㄣˊ ㄦˊ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄑㄧˊ ㄎㄜˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: rén ér wú sìn, bù jhih cí kě
    • Wade–Giles: jên² êrh² wu² hsin⁴, pu⁴ chih¹ chʻi² kʻo³
    • Yale: rén ér wú syìn-, bù jr̄ chí kě
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ren erl wu shinn, bu jy chyi kee
    • Palladius: жэнь эр у синь, бу чжи ци кэ (žɛnʹ er u sinʹ, bu čži ci kɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʐən³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ u³⁵ ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Proverb

人而無信，不知其可

1. A man without honesty is capable of nothing.