四海之内皆兄弟 sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōngdì All under the heaven are brothers

Explanation

这句成语出自《论语·颜渊》。意思是：天下人都像兄弟姐妹一样，互相亲近友爱。

This idiom comes from "The Analects of Confucius". It means: All people in the world are like brothers and sisters, getting close to each other.

Origin Story

春秋时期，孔子周游列国，途中遇到一位名叫子贡的弟子。子贡向孔子请教如何才能成为一个真正意义上的君子。孔子说："君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼，四海之内皆兄弟也。"意思是说，君子待人要认真负责，对人要谦恭有礼，这样才能赢得别人的尊重和信任。然后孔子又补充道，如果一个人能够做到待人真诚，宽容，尊重，那么无论走到哪里，他都能感受到家人的温暖，因为整个世界都是他的家，四海之内，皆兄弟也。子贡听了之后受益匪浅，他深知这不仅仅是一个人际交往的准则，更是一种人生的境界。他明白，只要心中充满爱与善，就能化解一切隔阂，与人建立和谐融洽的关系。从此，子贡把孔子的教诲铭记于心，并将这种理念贯穿于他的一生。他积极参与社会事务，热心帮助他人，广结善缘。他用实际行动诠释了"四海之内皆兄弟"的真谛，成为当时社会广受尊敬的人。

Chūnqiū shíqī, Kǒngzǐ zhōuyóu lièguó, túzhōng yùdào yī wèi míng jiào Zǐgòng de dìzǐ. Zǐgòng xiàng Kǒngzǐ qǐngjiào rúhé cáinéng chéngwéi yīgè zhēnzhèng yìyì shàng de jūnzǐ. Kǒngzǐ shuō: "Jūnzǐ jìng ér wú shī, yǔ rén gōng ér yǒu lǐ, sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōngdì yě." Yìsi shì shuō, jūnzǐ dài rén yào rènzhēn fùzé, duì rén yào qiāncōng yǒu lǐ, zhè yàng cáinéng yíngdé biérén de zūnjìng hé xìnrèn. Ránhòu Kǒngzǐ yòu bǔchōng dào, rúguǒ yīgè rén nénggòu zuòdào dài rén zhēnchéng, kuānróng, zūnjìng, nàme wúlùn zǒudào nǎlǐ, tā dōu néng gǎnshòudào jiārén de wēnnuǎn, yīnwèi zhěnggè shìjiè dōu shì tā de jiā, sì hǎi zhī nèi, jiē xiōngdì yě. Zǐgòng tīngle zhīhòu shòuyì fěiqiǎn, tā shēnzhī zhè bù jǐn jǐn shì yīgè rénjì jiāowǎng de zhuǎnzé, gèng shì yī zhǒng rénshēng de jìngjiè. Tā míngbái, zhǐyào xīnzhōng chōngmǎn ài yǔ shàn, jiù néng huàjiě yīqiè géhé, yǔ rén jiànlì héxié róngqià de guānxì. Cóngcǐ, Zǐgòng bǎ Kǒngzǐ de jiàohuì míngjì yú xīn, bìng jiāng zhè zhǒng lǐnián guànchuān yú tā de yīshēng. Tā jījí cānyù shèhuì shìwù, rèxīn bāngzhù tārén, guǎngjié shànyuán. Tā yòng shíjì xíngdòng qiánshì le "sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōngdì" de zhēndì, chéngwéi dāngshí shèhuì guǎng shòu zūnjìng de rén.

During the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius traveled through the various states. On the way, he met a disciple named Zigong. Zigong asked Confucius how to become a true gentleman. Confucius said: "A gentleman is respectful and makes no mistakes, he is courteous and respectful to others, within the four seas are all brothers." This means that a gentleman treats others earnestly and responsibly, is humble and courteous to others, and thus wins the respect and trust of others. Then Confucius added, if a person can be sincere, tolerant, and respectful to others, then wherever he goes, he will feel the warmth of his family, because the whole world is his home, within the four seas are all brothers. After hearing this, Zigong benefited greatly from it; he realized that this is not only a rule for interpersonal interaction but also a way of life. He understood that as long as his heart is full of love and kindness, he can resolve all misunderstandings and establish harmonious relationships with others. From then on, Zigong kept Confucius' teachings in mind and integrated this idea into his whole life. He actively participated in social affairs, enthusiastically helped others, and made many good friends. He used his actions to interpret the true meaning of "Within the four seas are all brothers", and became a widely respected person in society.

Usage

多用于表达天下人皆兄弟姐妹的亲切友爱之情，也用于劝诫人们要互相帮助，和睦相处。

Duō yòng yú biǎodá tiānxià rén jiē xiōngdì jiěmèi de qīnqiē yǒu'ài zhī qíng, yě yòng yú quànjiè rénmen yào hùxiāng bāngzhù, hémù xiāngchǔ.

Often used to express the warm love between all people in the world, it is also used to exhort people to help each other and live in harmony.

Examples

• 四海之内皆兄弟，我们应该互相帮助。

  Sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōngdì, wǒmen yīnggāi hùxiāng bāngzhù.

  We should help each other, because all under the sky are brothers.

• 虽然我们来自不同的地方，但四海之内皆兄弟，我们要和平相处。

  Suīrán wǒmen lái zì bùtóng de dìfāng, dàn sì hǎi zhī nèi jiē xiōngdì, wǒmen yào hépíng xiāngchǔ..

  Although we come from different places, we should live together in peace, because all under the sky are brothers.

Related Idioms

• 兄弟情深

• 手足情深

Opposite Idioms

• 水火不容

• 势不两立