📖 Meaning
The gentleman has three prohibitions to observe throughout life. In youth he guards against lust; in his prime, against quarrels and aggression; in old age, against greed and covetousness. It teaches moral self-restraint appropriate to each stage of life.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Analerta (论语·季氏), a record of Confucius's sayings compiled by his disciples during the Warring States period. Confucius taught that a gentleman (君子) must restrain himself against the dominant temptation of each stage of life: lust in youth, strife in adulthood, and avarice in old age. The teaching reflects the Confucian emphasis on lifelong moral self-cultivation. It has been cited for over two thousand years as guidance for ethical conduct at every age.
💡 Example Usage
孔子告诫弟子要谨守君子三戒，方能修身养性。
Confucius admonished his disciples to observe the gentleman's three prohibitions so as to cultivate virtue and character.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 君子三戒
- Pinyin: jūn zǐ sān jiè
- Literal Translation: gentleman, three, prohibitions
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4