一言興邦

Etymology

The Analects:

定公問：「一言而可以興邦，有諸？」
孔子對曰：「言不可以若是其幾也。人之言曰：『為君難，為臣不易。』如知為君之難也，不幾乎一言而興邦乎？」 [Classical Chinese, trad.][▼ expand/hide]
定公问：“一言而可以兴邦，有诸？”
孔子对曰：“言不可以若是其几也。人之言曰：‘为君难，为臣不易。’如知为君之难也，不几乎一言而兴邦乎？” [Classical Chinese, simp.]

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

Dìng Gōng wèn: “Yīyán ér kěyǐ xìngbāng, yǒu zhū?”
Kǒngzǐ duì yuē: “Yán bù kěyǐ ruò shì qí jī yě. Rén zhī yán yuē: ‘Wéi jūn nán, wéi chén bù yì.’ Rú zhī wéi jūn zhī nán yě, bù jī hū yīyán ér xìngbāng hū?” [Pinyin]

The Duke Ding asked whether there was a single sentence which could make a country prosperous.
Confucius replied, “Such an effect cannot be expected from one sentence. There is a saying, however, which people have ― ‘To be a prince is difficult; to be a minister is not easy.’ If a ruler knows this ― the difficulty of being a prince ― may there not be expected from this one sentence the prosperity of his country?”

Pronunciation

Proverb

一言興邦

1. One inspirational sentence can revitalize a nation.