色厲內荏

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Chinese

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colour; dice; look
colour; dice; look; appearance
 
severe
inside; inner; internal
inside; inner; internal; within; interior
 
Perilla frutescens; soft
trad. (色厲內荏)
simp. (色厉内荏)

Etymology

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From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》):

子曰:「色厲內荏小人穿?」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
子曰:「色厉内荏小人穿?」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Zǐyuē: “Sè lì ér nèi rěn, pì zhū xiǎorén, qí yóu chuān yú zhī dào yě yú?” [Pinyin]
The Master said, "He who puts on an appearance of stern firmness, while inwardly he is weak, is like one of the small, mean people - yea, is he not like the thief who breaks through, or climbs over, a wall?"

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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色厲內荏

  1. to appear tough on the outside but be weak and timid on the inside