得道多助，失道寡助

Chinese

		A just cause attracts much support.		An unjust cause attracts little support.
trad. (得道多助，失道寡助)		得道多助	，	失道寡助
simp. #(得道多助，失道寡助)		得道多助	，	失道寡助

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》):

得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，親戚畔之；多助之至，天下順之。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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得道者多助，失道者寡助。寡助之至，亲戚畔之；多助之至，天下顺之。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Dédào zhě duōzhù, shīdào zhě guǎzhù. Guǎzhù zhī zhì, qīnqī pàn zhī; duōzhù zhī zhì, tiānxià shùn zhī. [Pinyin]

He who finds the proper course has many to assist him. He who loses the proper course has few to assist him. When this - the being assisted by few - reaches its extreme point, his own relations revolt from the prince. When the being assisted by many reaches its highest point, the whole kingdom becomes obedient to the prince.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): dédàoduōzhù, shīdàoguǎzhù

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄓㄨˋ , ㄕ ㄉㄠˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄓㄨˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): dak¹ dou⁶ do¹ zo⁶, sat¹ dou⁶ gwaa² zo⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dédàoduōzhù, shīdàoguǎzhù
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄓㄨˋ , ㄕ ㄉㄠˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄓㄨˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dédàoduojhù, shihdàoguǎjhù
    • Wade–Giles: tê²-tao⁴-to¹-chu⁴, shih¹-tao⁴-kua³-chu⁴
    • Yale: dé-dàu-dwō-jù-, shr̄-dàu-gwǎ-jù
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: derdawduojuh, shydawgoajuh
    • Palladius: дэдаодочжу, шидаогуачжу (dɛdaodočžu, šidaoguačžu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɤ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ tu̯ɔ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: dak¹ dou⁶ do¹ zo⁶, sat¹ dou⁶ gwaa² zo⁶
    • Yale: dāk douh dō joh, sāt douh gwá joh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dak⁷ dou⁶ do¹ dzo⁶, sat⁷ dou⁶ gwaa² dzo⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: deg¹ dou⁶ do¹ zo⁶, sed¹ dou⁶ gua² zo⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɐk̚⁵ tou̯²² tɔː⁵⁵ t͡sɔː²² sɐt̚⁵ tou̯²² kʷaː³⁵ t͡sɔː²²/

Proverb

得道多助，失道寡助

1. a just cause attracts abundant support while an unjust cause finds little support