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Definition 2024

See also: 自古皆有死，民无信不立

		since ancient times; from time immemorial	all; each and every; in all cases	to have; there is; there are to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be	to die; inpassable; uncrossable to die; inpassable; uncrossable; inflexible; rigid		the people; nationality; citizen	If people have no faith in a person, there is no standing for that person.
trad. (自古皆有死，民無信不立)		自古	皆	有	死	，	民	無信不立
simp. (自古皆有死，民无信不立)		自古	皆	有	死	，	民	无信不立

自古皆有死，民無信不立

From of old, death has been the lot of all men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state.

c. 479 BCE – 221 BCE, Analects of Confucius/Part 12 (論語/顏淵第十二)
子貢問「政」。子曰：「足食，足兵，民信之矣。」子貢曰：「必不得已而去，於斯三者何先？」曰：「去兵。」子貢曰：「必不得已而去，於斯二者何先？」曰：「去食。自古皆有死，民無信不立。」
Zigong asked about government. The Master said, "The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler." Zigong said, "If it cannot be helped, and one of these must be dispensed with, which of the three should be foregone first?" "The military equipment," said the Master. Zigong again asked, "If it cannot be helped, and one of the remaining two must be dispensed with, which of them should be foregone?" The Master answered, "Part with the food. From of old, death has been the lot of an men; but if the people have no faith in their rulers, there is no standing for the state." (Legge)

Mandarin

(Pinyin): zìgǔ jiē yǒu sǐ, mín wúxìnbùlì

(Zhuyin): ㄗˋ ㄍㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄝㄧㄡˇ ㄙˇ, ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ