| 有则改之，无则加勉 |
yǒu zé gǎi zhī , wú zé jiā miǎn |
correct any mistakes you made, but maintain your good record if you did not make them (idiom) |
| 有 |
yǒu |
to have; there is / (bound form) having; with; -ful; -ed; -al (as in 有意 intentional) |
| 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 |
| 改 |
gǎi |
to change / to alter / to transform / to correct |
| 之 |
zhī |
(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的) / him / her / it |
| 无 |
mó |
used in 南无 |
| 无 |
wú |
not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less |
| 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 |
| 加 |
Jiā |
Canada (abbr. for 加拿大) / surname Jia |
| 加 |
jiā |
to add / (math.) plus / to increase; to augment / (used before a disyllabic verb, often after an adverb like 不, 大, 稍 etc, to indicate that the action applies to sth previously mentioned, as in 稍加改良 "make some minor improvements to (it)") |
| 勉 |
miǎn |
to exhort / to make an effort |