| 兼听则明，偏信则暗 |
jiān tīng zé míng , piān xìn zé àn |
listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; heed only one side and you will remain ignorant (idiom) |
| 兼 |
jiān |
double / twice / simultaneous / holding two or more (official) posts at the same time |
| 听 |
yǐn |
smile (archaic) |
| 听 |
tīng |
to listen to; to hear / to heed; to obey / a can (loanword from English "tin") / classifier for canned beverages / to let be; to allow (Taiwan pr. [ting4]) / (literary) to administer; to deal with (Taiwan pr. [ting4]) |
| 则 |
zé |
(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then / (bound form) standard; norm / (bound form) principle / (literary) to imitate; to follow / classifier for written items |
| 明 |
Míng |
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) / surname Ming / Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝 descended from Shennong 神农 Farmer God |
| 明 |
míng |
bright / opposite: dark 暗 / (of meaning) clear / to understand / next / public or open / wise / generic term for a sacrifice to the gods |
| 偏 |
piān |
to lean / to slant / oblique / prejudiced / to deviate from average / to stray from the intended line / stubbornly / contrary to expectations |
| 信 |
xìn |
letter / mail / CL:封 / to trust / to believe / to profess faith in / truthful / confidence / trust / at will / at random |
| 则 |
zé |
(literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then / (bound form) standard; norm / (bound form) principle / (literary) to imitate; to follow / classifier for written items |
| 暗 |
àn |
variant of 暗 |
| 暗 |
àn |
dark / to turn dark / secret; hidden / (literary) confused; ignorant |
| 暗 |
àn |
(literary) to close (a door) / to eclipse / confused; ignorant (variant of 暗) / dark (variant of 暗) |