言必信，行必果

Chinese

		to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word	certainly; must; will certainly; must; will; necessarily	letter; true; to believe letter; true; to believe; sign; evidence		to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional	certainly; must; will certainly; must; will; necessarily	fruit; result
simp. and trad. (言必信，行必果)		言	必	信	，	行	必	果

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 13 (《論語·子路》):

子貢問曰：「何如斯可謂之『士』矣？」子曰：「行己有恥，使於四方，不辱君命；可謂『士』矣。」
曰：「敢問其次。」曰：「宗族稱孝焉，鄉黨稱弟焉。」
曰：「敢問其次。」曰：「言必信，行必果，硜硜然，小人哉，抑亦可以為次矣。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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子贡问曰：「何如斯可谓之『士』矣？」子曰：「行己有耻，使于四方，不辱君命；可谓『士』矣。」
曰：「敢问其次。」曰：「宗族称孝焉，乡党称弟焉。」
曰：「敢问其次。」曰：「言必信，行必果，硁硁然，小人哉，抑亦可以为次矣。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Zǐgòng wèn yuē: “Hérú sī kě wèi zhī ‘shì’ yǐ?” Zǐyuē: “Xíng jǐ yǒu chǐ, shǐ yú sìfāng, bù rǔ jūn mìng; kěwèi ‘shì’ yǐ.”
Yuē: “Gǎnwèn qícì.” Yuē: “Zōngzú chēng xiào yān, xiāngdǎng chēng tì yān.”
Yuē: “Gǎnwèn qícì.” Yuē: “Yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ, kēngkēng rán, xiǎorén zāi, yì yì kěyǐ wèi cì yǐ.” [Pinyin]

Zigong asked, saying, "What qualities must a man possess to entitle him to be called an officer? The Master said, "He who in his conduct of himself maintains a sense of shame, and when sent to any quarter will not disgrace his prince's commission, deserves to be called an officer."
Zigong pursued, "I venture to ask who may be placed in the next lower rank?" And he was told, "He whom the circle of his relatives pronounce to be filial, whom his fellow villagers and neighbors pronounce to be fraternal."
Again the disciple asked, "I venture to ask about the class still next in order." The Master said, "They are determined to be sincere in what they say, and to carry out what they do. They are obstinate little men. Yet perhaps they may make the next class."

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄣˋ , ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄍㄨㄛˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin⁴ bit¹ seon³, hang⁴ bit¹ gwo²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄣˋ , ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄍㄨㄛˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yán bì sìn, síng bì guǒ
    • Wade–Giles: yen² pi⁴ hsin⁴, hsing² pi⁴ kuo³
    • Yale: yán bì syìn-, syíng bì gwǒ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yan bih shinn, shyng bih guoo
    • Palladius: янь би синь, син би го (janʹ bi sinʹ, sin bi go)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn³⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕin⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ ku̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jin⁴ bit¹ seon³, hang⁴ bit¹ gwo²
    • Yale: yìhn bīt seun, hàhng bīt gwó
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin⁴ bit⁷ soen³, hang⁴ bit⁷ gwo²
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin⁴ bid¹ sên³, heng⁴ bid¹ guo²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn²¹ piːt̚⁵ sɵn³³ hɐŋ²¹ piːt̚⁵ kʷɔː³⁵/

Proverb

言必信，行必果

1. Promises must be kept and action must be resolute. / Always be true in word and resolute in deed.

   • 當使若二士者，言必信，行必果，使言行之合猶合符節也，無言而不行也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     当使若二士者，言必信，行必果，使言行之合犹合符节也，无言而不行也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Mozi, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on Y. P. Mei's version

     Dāngshǐ ruò èr shì zhě, yán bì xìn, xíng bì guǒ, shǐ yánxíng zhī hé yóu hé fújié yě, wú yán ér bù xíng yě. [Pinyin]

     Suppose they are sincere in word and decisive in deed so that their word and deed are made to agree like the two parts of a tally, and that there is no word but what is realized in deed.

   • 共產黨員在和友黨友軍發生關係的時候，應該堅持團結抗日的立場，堅持統一戰線的綱領，成為實行抗戰任務的模範；應該言必信，行必果，不傲慢，誠心誠意地和友黨友軍商量問題，協同工作，成為統一戰線中各黨相互關係的模範。 [MSC, trad.]
     共产党员在和友党友军发生关系的时候，应该坚持团结抗日的立场，坚持统一战线的纲领，成为实行抗战任务的模范；应该言必信，行必果，不傲慢，诚心诚意地和友党友军商量问题，协同工作，成为统一战线中各党相互关系的模范。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1938, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《中國共產黨在民族戰爭中的地位》 (The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War), 《毛澤東選集》 (Selected Works of Mao Tse-tung), English translation based on the Foreign Language Press edition

     Gòngchǎndǎngyuán zài hé yǒudǎng yǒujūn fāshēng guānxì de shíhou, yīnggāi jiānchí tuánjié kàngrì de lìchǎng, jiānchí tǒngyī zhànxiàn de gānglǐng, chéngwéi shíxíng kàngzhàn rènwù de mófàn; yīnggāi yánbìxìn, xíngbìguǒ, bù àomàn, chéngxīnchéngyì de hé yǒudǎng yǒujūn shāngliang wèntí, xiétóng gōngzuò, chéngwéi tǒngyī zhànxiàn zhōng gè dǎng xiānghù guānxì de mófàn. [Pinyin]

     In their relations with friendly parties and armies, Communists should take a firm stand of unity for resistance to Japan, uphold the programme of the united front and set an example in carrying out the tasks of resistance; they should be true in word and resolute in deed, free from arrogance and sincere in consulting and co-operating with the friendly parties and armies, and they should be models in inter-party relations within the united front.

Synonyms

• 言信行果 (yánxìnxíngguǒ)
• 言行信果 (yánxíngxìnguǒ)