以其人之道，還治其人之身

Chinese

		to use; according to; so as to to use; according to; so as to; in order to; by; with; because; Israel (abbrev.)	his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to something preceding it)	man; person; people	's; him/her/it; this	direction; way; method direction; way; method; road; path; principle; truth; reason; skill; Tao (of Taoism); a measure word; to say; to speak; to talk		pay back; return; also pay back; return; also; in addition; more; still; else; yet; (not) yet	to rule; to govern; to manage to rule; to govern; to manage; to control; to harness (a river); cure; treatment; to heal	his; her; its his; her; its; theirs; that; such; it (refers to something preceding it)	man; person; people	's; him/her/it; this	body; torso; person body; torso; person; life; status; pregnancy; (a measure word used for clothes) suit
trad. (以其人之道，還治其人之身)		以	其	人	之	道	，	還	治	其	人	之	身
simp. (以其人之道，还治其人之身)		以	其	人	之	道	，	还	治	其	人	之	身

Etymology

Originally used by Chinese philosopher Zhu Xi:

故君子之治人也，即以其人之道，還治其人之身。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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故君子之治人也，即以其人之道，还治其人之身。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 12^th century CE, Zhu Xi, 《四書章句集註·中庸章句》, translation from Johnston and Wang (2012), Daxue and Zhongyong: Bilingual Edition

Gù jūnzǐ zhī zhì rén yě, jí yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn. [Pinyin]

Therefore, the noble man's (ruler's) bringing good order to others, since it is by his Way as a man, reflects his own good order as a person.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn

  (Zhuyin): ㄧˇ ㄑㄧˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ , ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄓˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄕㄣ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ji⁵ kei⁴ jan⁴ zi¹ dou⁶, waan⁴ zi⁶ kei⁴ jan⁴ zi¹ san¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn
    • Zhuyin: ㄧˇ ㄑㄧˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ , ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄓˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄓ ㄕㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yǐ cí rén jhih dào, huán jhìh cí rén jhih shen
    • Wade–Giles: i³ chʻi² jên² chih¹ tao⁴, huan² chih⁴ chʻi² jên² chih¹ shên¹
    • Yale: yǐ chí rén jr̄ dàu-, hwán jr̀ chí rén jr̄ shēn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yii chyi ren jy daw, hwan jyh chyi ren jy shen
    • Palladius: и ци жэнь чжи дао, хуань чжи ци жэнь чжи шэнь (i ci žɛnʹ čži dao, xuanʹ čži ci žɛnʹ čži šɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ xu̯än³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂən⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ji⁵ kei⁴ jan⁴ zi¹ dou⁶, waan⁴ zi⁶ kei⁴ jan⁴ zi¹ san¹
    • Yale: yíh kèih yàhn jī douh, wàahn jih kèih yàhn jī sān
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ji⁵ kei⁴ jan⁴ dzi¹ dou⁶, waan⁴ dzi⁶ kei⁴ jan⁴ dzi¹ san¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yi⁵ kéi⁴ yen⁴ ji¹ dou⁶, wan⁴ ji⁶ kéi⁴ yen⁴ ji¹ sen¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiː¹³ kʰei̯²¹ jɐn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ tou̯²² waːn²¹ t͡siː²² kʰei̯²¹ jɐn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

Idiom

以其人之道，還治其人之身

1. to pay back with the opponent's own method; to give the enemy a taste of their own medicine; an eye for an eye