忠恕

zhōngshù

noun

Meanings

1 loyalty and consideration for others
2 (Confucianism) doing one's best for others (忠) and treating others as one would oneself (恕)
3 magnanimity

Characters

loyal / faithful

to forgive / be considerate

Examples

忠恕是儒家伦理的核心。

Zhōngshù shì Rújiā lúnlǐ de héxīn.

Loyalty and reciprocity are at the heart of Confucian ethics.

他为人忠恕，朋友都信任他。

Tā wéirén zhōngshù, péngyǒu dōu xìnrèn tā.

He is conscientious and considerate, and his friends all trust him.

Tips

history

From the Analects (《论语·里仁》): when a disciple asked what tied Confucius's teaching together, Zengzi (曾子) answered 'the Master's Way is just 忠恕, nothing more' (夫子之道，忠恕而已矣). 恕 was famously glossed by Confucius as 己所不欲，勿施于人 — the Golden Rule in negative form.

Stroke Order

忠 zhōng

恕 shù