必浚其泉源

bì jùn qí quányuán

quotation

Meanings

1 one must dredge the spring and source
2 to achieve distant results, strengthen the root cause
3 line from Wei Zheng's 'Memorial on Ten Reflections'

Characters

Examples

HSK 5

教育改革必浚其泉源，从根本抓起。

Jiàoyù gǎigé bìjùnqíquányuán, cóng gēnběn zhuāqǐ.

Education reform must dredge the wellspring - tackle things at the root.

HSK 7-9

欲流之远者，必浚其泉源。治本才能治标。

Yù liú zhī yuǎn zhě, bìjùnqíquányuán. zhìběn cáinéng zhìbiāo.

To make a stream flow far, one must dredge its spring - tackle the root to treat the symptom.

Tips

history

出自唐代魏征《谏太宗十思疏》：“欲流之远者，必浚其泉源。”魏征劝唐太宗要长治久安必须夯实根基。

usage

Here 浚 is read jùn, meaning 'to dredge / dig deep', not xùn (which is used only in the place name 浚县). It is almost always paired with the preceding line 欲流之远者.

Stroke Order

必 bì

浚 jùn

其 qí

泉 quán

源 yuán