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国以民为本

國以民為本
guó yǐ mín wéi běn
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 the state takes the people as its foundation
  2. 2 people-first governance
  3. 3 classical principle of min-ben statecraft

Examples

HSK 7-9
治国须牢记国以民为本的道理。
Zhì guó xū láojì guóyǐmínwéiběn de dàolǐ.
In governing a country one must firmly remember the principle that the state takes the people as its foundation.
HSK 7-9
国以民为本，民以食为天，粮食安全不容忽视。
Guóyǐmínwéiběn, mínyǐshíwéitiān, liángshí ānquán bùróng hūshì.
The state takes the people as its foundation, the people take food as their heaven; grain security cannot be overlooked.

Tips

history
Drawn from the classical 民本 (mín běn, 'people as root') tradition articulated in 《尚书·五子之歌》: 民惟邦本，本固邦宁 ('the people are the root of the state; when the root is firm the state is at peace'). The formulation 国以民为本 was crystallized in later dynastic memorials and is now standard rhetoric in Chinese political speech.
usage
Usually quoted in a parallel pair with 民以食为天 ('the people take food as their heaven'), or alongside 以人为本 ('put people first'), the modern policy slogan derived from the same tradition.

Stroke Order

国 guó
以 yǐ
民 mín
为 wéi
本 běn