集大成

Chinese

		to gather; to collect; collected works	great accomplishment; great achievement; compendium
trad. (集大成)		集	大成
simp. #(集大成)		集	大成

Etymology

From Mencius (《孟子·萬章下》):

伯夷，聖之清者也；伊尹，聖之任者也；柳下惠，聖之和者也；孔子，聖之時者也。孔子之謂集大成。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

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伯夷，圣之清者也；伊尹，圣之任者也；柳下惠，圣之和者也；孔子，圣之时者也。孔子之谓集大成。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: Mencius, c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Bóyí, shèng zhī qīng zhě yě; Yīyǐn, shèng zhī rèn zhě yě; Liǔxià Huì, shèng zhī hé zhě yě; Kǒngzǐ, shèng zhī shí zhě yě. Kǒngzǐ zhī wèi jí dàchéng. [Pinyin]

Bo Yi among the sages was the pure one; Yi Yin was the one most inclined to take office; Hui of Liu Xia was the accommodating one; and Confucius was the timeous one. In Confucius we have what is called a complete concert.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jídàchéng

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄔㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zaap⁶ daai⁶ sing⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jídàchéng
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄔㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jídàchéng
    • Wade–Giles: chi²-ta⁴-chʻêng²
    • Yale: jí-dà-chéng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyidahcherng
    • Palladius: цзидачэн (czidačɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi³⁵ tä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zaap⁶ daai⁶ sing⁴
    • Yale: jaahp daaih sìhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzaap⁹ daai⁶ sing⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: zab⁶ dai⁶ xing⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡saːp̚² taːi̯²² sɪŋ²¹/

Verb

集大成

1. to be a comprehensive expression of; to be an agglomeration of; to epitomise

   他是這一學派思想的集大成者。 [MSC, trad.]
   他是这一学派思想的集大成者。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā shì zhè yī xuépài sīxiǎng de jídàchéng zhě. [Pinyin]

   He epitomized the thought of this school.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (集大成):

• → Japanese: 集(しゅう)大成(たいせい) (shūtaisei)