以及人之老

yǐ jí rén zhī lǎo

quotation

Meanings

1 and extend it to the elders of others
2 to treat other people's elders as one's own

Characters

and (classical connective)

reach, extend to

's / of (classical 的)

the aged, elders

Examples

HSK 6

社区养老就是以及人之老的体现。

Shèqū yǎnglǎo jiùshì yǐ jí rén zhī lǎo de tǐxiàn.

Community eldercare embodies the idea of 'extending care to others' elders.'

HSK 7-9

老吾老以及人之老，这是中华传统美德。

Lǎo wú lǎo yǐ jí rén zhī lǎo, zhè shì Zhōnghuá chuántǒng měidé.

'Honor one's own elders and extend that to others' elders' is a traditional Chinese virtue.

Tips

history

From Mencius 《孟子·梁惠王上》: 老吾老，以及人之老；幼吾幼，以及人之幼。 (Honor my own elders and extend that to the elders of others; cherish my own young and extend that to the young of others.) A foundational statement of Confucian/Mencian ethics of empathy.

usage

以 = and; 及 = reach, extend to; 之 = attributive marker (= 的). Almost always quoted together with 老吾老 and the parallel 幼吾幼 clause.

Stroke Order

以 yǐ

及 jí

人 rén

之 zhī

老 lǎo