一匡天下

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	correct	under heaven; the world; everything under the sky under heaven; the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven
simp. and trad. (一匡天下)		一	匡	天下

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 14 (《論語·憲問》):

子曰：「管仲相桓公，霸諸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其賜；微管仲，吾其被髮左衽矣！…… [Classical Chinese, trad.]

子曰：「管仲相桓公，霸诸侯，一匡天下，民到于今受其赐；微管仲，吾其被发左衽矣！…… [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐyuē: “Guǎn Zhòng xiàng Huán Gōng, bà zhūhóu, yī kuāng tiānxià, mín dào yú jīn shòu qí cì; wēi Guǎn Zhòng, wú qí bèifà zuǒrèn yǐ!...... [Pinyin]

Guan Zhong acted as prime minister to the duke Huan, made him leader of all the princes, and united and rectified the whole kingdom. Down to the present day, the people enjoy the gifts which he conferred. But for Guan Zhong, we should now be wearing our hair unbound, and the lappets of our coats buttoning on the left side. …

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yīkuāngtiānxià

(Zhuyin): ㄧㄎㄨㄤㄊㄧㄢㄒㄧㄚˋ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yīkuāngtiānxià [Phonetic: yìkuāngtiānxià]
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄎㄨㄤㄊㄧㄢㄒㄧㄚˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yikuangtiansià
  - Wade–Giles: i¹-kʻuang¹-tʻien¹-hsia⁴
  - Yale: yī-kwāng-tyān-syà
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ikuangtianshiah
  - Palladius: икуантянься (ikuantjanʹsja)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ kʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

Idiom

一匡天下

to unify China and pacify the country