四海兄弟

Japanese
Kanji in this term
四 海 兄 弟
し
Grade: 1		 かい
Grade: 2		 けい
Grade: 2		 てい
Grade: 2
kan’on
Alternative spelling
四海兄弟 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

Based on a saying by Zi Xia in 論語 (Rongo, “Analects of Confucius”):

君子敬而無失，與人恭而有禮。四海之內，皆兄弟也。君子何患乎無兄弟也？ [Classical Chinese, trad.]
君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼。四海之内，皆兄弟也。君子何患乎无兄弟也？ [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Jūnzǐ jìng ér wúshī, yǔ rén gōng ér yǒulǐ. Sìhǎi zhī nèi, jiē xiōngdì yě. Jūnzǐ hé huàn hū wú xiōngdì yě? [Pinyin]
If a gentleman is respectful without fail, and to others he is reverent and acts with propriety, within the four seas all men will be brothers [to him]. Why should a gentleman worry about having no brothers?

Noun

四(し)海(かい)兄(けい)弟(てい) • (shikai keitei) 

  1. universal brotherhood

See also
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