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仁至义尽 (rén zhì yì jǐn) — to have done everything possible to help or accommodate; to have exhausted all moral obligations

Definition

A formal idiom meaning 'one has done everything humanly and morally possible' — used when a speaker has exhausted all obligations to someone. Carries a tone of finality, often with a hint of reproach.

idiom
to have done everything possible to help or accommodateto have exhausted all moral obligations

Examples

  • 仁至义尽。
    Wǒ men yǐ jīng duì tā rén zhì yì jǐn le.
    We've done everything we could for him.
  • 仁至义尽。
    Gōng sī duì yuán gōng yǐ jīng rén zhì yì jǐn.
    The company has done everything it could for its employees.
  • ，仁至义尽。
    Zài zhè jiàn shì shàng, wǒ rén zhì yì jǐn le.
    In this matter, I've done all I can.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

仁至benevolence reaches
仁rénbenevolence至zhìreaches
主谓Subject + predicate
义尽righteousness is exhausted
义yìrighteousness尽jìnexhausted
主谓Subject + predicate

'仁至' and '义尽' say benevolence reaches its limit and righteousness is exhausted.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
二二èr
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén仁rén
Same sound today

仁 is built from 人 and 二; 人 gives the sound, and 二 gives the meaning.

Open 仁 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

至 is drawn as an arrow stuck into the ground.

Open 至 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsIdioms & Set Phrases

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