学而优则仕 in English xue2 er2 you1 ze2 shi4 Meaning

Meanings

  • one who is successful in one's studies, can become an official (idiomatic expression)

Simplified Characters

学 而 优 则 仕

Traditional Characters

學 而 優 則 仕

Pinyin

xue2 er2 you1 ze2 shi4

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

学xue2to learn 而er2and 优you1excellent 则ze2(conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but 仕shi4to serve as an official