man of virtue; wise man; gentleman
Confucian ideal of a morally cultivated person; in modern use, a person of integrity and refined character. Often contrasted with 小人 (しょうじん).
He is truly a person worthy of being called a gentleman.
The gentleman is perceptive about righteousness; the petty person is perceptive about profit.
Historical or literary use for a person of elevated social standing; less common in everyday modern Japanese.
In ancient times, 君子 referred to those who governed the people.
the Four Gentlemen (plum, chrysanthemum, orchid, bamboo)
Artistic and cultural term, almost always in the compound 四君子 (しくんし). Rarely used alone.
See also: 四君子
The Four Gentlemen are a traditional subject in East Asian painting.
His noble conduct led many people to praise him as a man of virtue.
Even in a difficult situation, he behaved like a man of virtue.
聖人 denotes a sage or saint of near-perfect wisdom and virtue, a step above the more attainable moral ideal of 君子.
君主 means 'monarch, sovereign ruler', while the similar-looking 君子 means 'a person of noble character, a gentleman' with no political rule implied.
counter for people
Rangoon creeper; Quisqualis indica
hypocrite; phony; snob
clivia; Kaffir lily
the Four Gentlemen (plum, chrysanthemum, orchid, and bamboo)
gentleman; man of learning and virtue
From Chinese 君子 (jūnzǐ), originally 'son of a ruler', later the Confucian ideal of a morally superior person. The reading くんし is the Sino-Japanese on'yomi.