奸かん佞ねい邪じゃ智ち

Meanings

wiles and cunning; craftiness and treachery

A rare, literary yojijukugo describing a person who uses flattery, deceit, and clever scheming for malicious ends. Not used in everyday conversation; found in classical or formal texts.

奸かん佞ねい邪じゃ智ちの輩やからに国くにを任まかせてはならない。
One must not entrust the country to those of wiles and treachery.

Kanji

奸wickedness, mischief, rudeness
佞flattery, insincerity
邪wicked, injustice, wrong
知know, wisdom
智wisdom, intellect, reason

Related words

奸かん智ち
A more common two-kanji compound meaning 'cunning' or 'crafty wisdom', without the explicit flattery and evil nuance of 奸佞邪智.
佞ねい奸かん
Another rare term for 'flattery and treachery', similar in meaning but less elaborate.

Written forms

奸かん佞ねい邪じゃ智ち
Rare yojijukugo; the kanji 奸 (wicked), 佞 (flattery), 邪 (evil), and 智 (wisdom) combine to suggest cunning and treachery. The variant 奸佞邪知 uses 知 instead of 智.
奸かん佞ねい邪じゃ知ち
Variant spelling with 知 (knowledge) instead of 智 (wisdom).

Etymology

A yojijukugo combining four kanji: 奸 (wickedness), 佞 (flattery), 邪 (evil), and 智 (wisdom). The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows classical Chinese patterns of compounding negative traits to describe a treacherous, cunning person.