克己复礼 — “To discipline oneself and return to propriety”

克己复礼 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to discipline oneself and return to propriety”. To restrain one's desires and actions to conform with ritual norms and ethical principles. Literally, “Restrain oneself and return to propriety/rites”.

Frequency

克己复礼 Pronunciation and Pinyin

克己复礼 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
克	kè	7	overcome, be able to
己	jǐ	3	self, oneself
复	fù	9	return, repeat, or complex
礼	lǐ	6	ritual, courtesy, gift

Example Sentence with 克己复礼

一个人若想在学业上有所成就，首先要做到克己复礼，方能心无旁骛，专注于学习。

If one wishes to achieve success in their studies, they must first practice self-restraint and adhere to proper conduct, so they can focus on learning without distractions.

Origin and Story of 克己复礼

During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius believed that "Ren" (benevolence) encompassed virtues such as reverence, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, kindness, wisdom, courage, loyalty, empathy, filial piety, and fraternal duty.

The methods for practicing "Ren" were "Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you" and "Wishing to establish oneself, one should also seek to establish others; wishing to achieve, one should also seek to help others achieve."

When a disciple asked how to achieve "Ren," Confucius replied, "Subdue oneself and return to propriety (克己复礼)."