当仁不让

當仁不讓

dāngrénbùràng

idiom #91,324

Meanings

1 to not shrink from one's duty
2 to take responsibility without hesitation
3 to step forward when a good thing needs doing

Characters

when facing; to confront

benevolence; a righteous matter

to yield; to give way

Examples

面对这项任务，他当仁不让地接了下来。

Miànduì zhè xiàng rènwù, tā dāngrénbùràng de jiē le xiàlái.

Facing this task, he took it on without hesitation.

在捐款救灾的事上，他总是当仁不让。

Zài juānkuǎn jiùzāi de shì shàng, tā zǒng shì dāngrénbùràng.

When it comes to donating for disaster relief, he never holds back.

既然是为大家谋福利，我们当仁不让。

Jìrán shì wèi dàjiā móu fúlì, wǒmen dāngrénbùràng.

Since it's for everyone's benefit, we won't step aside.

Tips

history

From 《论语·卫灵公》: 当仁，不让于师 — 'when it comes to a matter of ren (benevolence), do not yield even to your teacher.' Confucius taught that moral duty overrides hierarchy.

usage

Positive — praise for someone who steps up. Often used ironically too: a person claiming a role/reward they clearly want. 当 here means 'when facing', not 'appropriate'.

Stroke Order

当 dāng

仁 rén

不 bù

让 ràng