📖 Meaning
This idiom means to cultivate closeness with the virtuous and to maintain friendly relations with neighboring states. It stresses the importance of good-neighborly diplomacy and forming alliances with benevolent partners. It is commonly used in contexts of statecraft and international relations.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Zuo Zhuan (左传), specifically the sixth year of Duke Yin (隐公六年) during the Spring and Autumn period. The full statement reads '亲仁善邻，国之宝也' — 'to be close to the benevolent and befriend neighbors is a treasure of the state.' It embodies the political wisdom of the Spring and Autumn era, when maintaining peaceful and friendly ties with neighboring states was regarded as essential to a nation's stability and survival.
💡 Example Usage
一个国家应当亲仁善邻，与周边国家和平共处。
A nation should befriend the benevolent and live in peace with its neighboring countries.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 亲仁善邻
- Pinyin: qīn rén shàn lín
- Literal Translation: be close to the benevolent, befriend one's neighbors
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4