狗彘不若

Chinese

dog swine
not like; not equal to; not as good as
not like; not equal to; not as good as; cannot compare to
 
trad. (狗彘不若) 狗 彘 不若
simp. #(狗彘不若) 狗 彘 不若
Literally: “worse than dogs and pigs”.

Etymology

From Xunzi:

乳彘觸虎，乳狗不遠遊，不忘其親也。人也，憂忘其身，內忘其親，上忘其君，則是人也，而曾狗彘之不若也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]
乳彘触虎，乳狗不远游，不忘其亲也。人也，忧忘其身，内忘其亲，上忘其君，则是人也，而曾狗彘之不若也。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]
From: Xunzi, c. 3rd century BCE
Rǔ zhì chù hǔ, rǔ gǒu bù yuǎnyóu, bùwàng qí qīn yě. Rén yě, yōu wàng qí shēn, nèi wàng qí qīn, shàng wàng qí jūn, zé shì rén yě, ér zēng gǒuzhì zhī bù ruò yě. [Pinyin]
A nursing sow will charge a tiger, and a bitch with pups does not wander far. This is for they do not neglect their kin. Yet mankind alone will below neglect his own safety, within neglect his family, and above neglect his lord. How is it that such a man is not even equal of a bitch and a sow!

Pronunciation

Idiom

狗彘不若

  1. (literary, derogatory) base; contemptible; vile

Synonyms

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