📖 Meaning
Refers to the words and deeds of sages and virtuous people from previous generations. It is used to encourage people to learn from and inherit the wisdom, teachings, and exemplary conduct of their predecessors as a means of cultivating their own character and virtue.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom derives from the 'Dà Xù' (Great Accumulation) hexagram commentary in the I Ching (《周易·大畜》), part of the Ten Wings traditionally attributed to Confucius (5th century BC). The passage reads: 'A gentleman, by widely learning the words and deeds of those before him, accumulates his virtue' (君子以多识前言往行，以畜其德). The phrase originally designated the exemplary words and conduct of past sages and worthies, which one should study to cultivate moral character. Over time it became a general term for the wise words and virtuous deeds of earlier generations.
💡 Example Usage
我们应该借鉴前人的前言往行，砥砺自己的德行。
We should learn from the words and deeds of our predecessors to cultivate our own virtue.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 前言往行
- Pinyin: qián yán wǎng xíng
- Literal Translation: former, words, past, deeds
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4