近朱者赤 — “One takes on the color of one's company”

近朱者赤 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “one takes on the color of one's company”. Proximity to good influences makes one good, while bad influences make one bad. It emphasizes the significant impact of one's environment and companions on one's character and behavior. Literally, “He who gets near vermilion gets red”.

Frequency

近朱者赤 Pronunciation and Pinyin

近朱者赤 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
近	jìn	8	close, near, recent
朱	zhū	6	vermilion; cinnabar red
者	zhě	9	person, thing, or situation
赤	chì	7	red, bare, sincere

Example Sentence with 近朱者赤

老师常说，交朋友要谨慎，因为近朱者赤，近墨者黑，好的伙伴能互相促进，共同进步。

The teacher often says that one should be careful when choosing friends, because one takes on the color of one's company; good companions can encourage each other and make progress together.

Origin and Story of 近朱者赤

During the Jin Dynasty, Fu Xuan, a prominent literary figure and philosopher, articulated the profound concept of environmental influence in his work 'Taizi Shaofu Zhen' (Admonitions for the Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince).

He wrote, "He who gets near vermilion gets red, and he who gets near ink gets black; a harmonious sound produces a clear echo, and a straight body casts a straight shadow."

Through this analogy, Fu Xuan taught that individuals are significantly shaped by their surroundings. Living in a good environment leads to positive influences and development, while being in a bad environment can lead to negative impacts.

This idiom highlights the critical role of one's external environment and companions in shaping character and behavior.