兼济天下

兼濟天下

jiānjì-tiānxià

idiom

Meanings

1 to benefit all under heaven
2 to improve the lives of everyone

Characters

simultaneously, all

Examples

读书人应怀有兼济天下之志。

Dúshūrén yīng huáiyǒu jiānjìtiānxià zhī zhì.

Scholars should hold the ambition to benefit all under heaven.

他一生追求兼济天下的理想。

Tā yīshēng zhuīqiú jiānjìtiānxià de lǐxiǎng.

He pursued the ideal of benefiting all the world his whole life.

Tips

history

From Mencius 《孟子·尽心上》: 穷则独善其身，达则兼济天下 ('when poor, perfect yourself; when successful, aid the world'). A core Confucian formulation of the scholar's duty.

Stroke Order

兼 jiān

济 jì

天 tiān

下 xià