若要人不知，除非己莫為

Chinese
 
to seem; like; as
to seem; like; as; if
 
important; vital; to want
important; vital; to want; to be going to; must; demand; ask; request; coerce
 man; person; people
 
to not know; to have no idea of; to be ignorant of
to not know; to have no idea of; to be ignorant of; to wonder if
 unless; only if; only when 6th heavenly stem; self do not; there is none who
 
because of; for; to
because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become
trad. (若要人不知，除非己莫為/若要人不知，除非己莫爲) 若 要 人 不知 ， 除非 己 莫 為/爲
simp. (若要人不知，除非己莫为) 若 要 人 不知 ， 除非 己 莫 为
Literally: “if one wants others to not know [of their wrongdoings], only [happens] when themselves had not done it”.

Etymology

The earliest appearance of similar expressions was in Mei Cheng (枚乘)'s Petition to the Prince of Wu:

欲人勿聞，莫若勿言；欲人勿知，莫若勿為。 [MSC, trad.]
欲人勿闻，莫若勿言；欲人勿知，莫若勿为。 [MSC, simp.]
From: Mei Sheng (枚乘),《上書諫吳王》
Yù rén wù wén, mò ruò wù yán; yù rén wù zhī, mò ruò wù wèi. [Pinyin]
Do not speak if you do not want others to hear; do not do if you do not want others to know.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): ruò yào rén bùzhī chúfēi jǐ mò wéi
    (Zhuyin): ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄔㄨˊ ㄈㄟ ㄐㄧˇ ㄇㄛˋ ㄨㄟˊ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): joek6 jiu3 jan4 bat1 zi1, ceoi4 fei1 gei2 mok6 wai4
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: ruò yào rén bùzhī chúfēi jǐ mò wéi
      • Zhuyin: ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄠˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄔㄨˊ ㄈㄟ ㄐㄧˇ ㄇㄛˋ ㄨㄟˊ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: ruò yào rén bùjhih chúfei jǐ mò wéi
      • Wade–Giles: jo4 yao4 jên2 pu4-chih1 chʻu2-fei1 chi3 mo4 wei2
      • Yale: rwò yàu rén bù-jr̄ chú-fēi jǐ mwò wéi
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ruoh yaw ren bujy chwufei jii moh wei
      • Palladius: жо яо жэнь бучжи чуфэй цзи мо вэй (žo jao žɛnʹ bučži čufɛj czi mo vɛj)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ jɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu³⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵/
  • Cantonese
    • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
      • Jyutping: joek6 jiu3 jan4 bat1 zi1, ceoi4 fei1 gei2 mok6 wai4
      • Yale: yeuhk yiu yàhn bāt jī, chèuih fēi géi mohk wàih
      • Cantonese Pinyin: joek9 jiu3 jan4 bat7 dzi1, tsoey4 fei1 gei2 mok9 wai4
      • Guangdong Romanization: yêg6 yiu3 yen4 bed1 ji1, cêu4 féi1 géi2 mog6 wei4
      • Sinological IPA (key): /jœːk̚² jiːu̯³³ jɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ fei̯⁵⁵ kei̯³⁵ mɔːk̚² wɐi̯²¹/

Proverb

若要人不知，除非己莫為

  1. murder will out; one should not do it if they do not want others to know

Derived terms
  • 若要人不知，唔好咁低B
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