







以身作则 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to set an example with one's own conduct”. To lead by example; to practice what one preaches. Literally, “Use oneself as an example”.
Yan Ying, the prime minister of the State of Qi, served three dukes and was highly respected. He demanded strict adherence to principles from himself, always setting an example with his own actions and advocating for integrity.
He ate coarse rice, wore simple clothes, rode in a modest carriage, and lived in a humble dwelling.
Duke Jing of Qi felt uneasy about this and offered him new carriages and clothes, but Yan Ying firmly refused. When Duke Jing wanted to build him a new house, he still insisted on not accepting it.

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →以身作则 (yǐ shēn zuò zé) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to set an example with one's own conduct”.
以身作则 is pronounced yǐ shēn zuò zé in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 以身作则 means “use oneself as an example”. It is used to mean “to set an example with one's own conduct”.
以身作则 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
则:准则,榜样。以自己的行动做出榜样。
Review 以身作则 with pictures
Customize the text, then download or print your card.
Open flashcard ↗