瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 — “Don't tie your shoes in a melon field; don't adjust your hat under a plum tree”
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to avoid actions or situations that could lead to suspicion or misinterpretation, even if one's intentions are innocent; to steer clear of anything that might invite unwanted scrutiny”. Literally, “Don't tie your shoes in a melon field; don't adjust your hat under a plum tree”.
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 Pronunciation and Pinyin
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠
Origin and Story of 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠
During the Northern Qi Dynasty, Yuan Yuxiu, a man of profound knowledge, served as the governor of Boling. He was known for his integrity, strict separation of public and private affairs, and refusal to accept any gifts.
Once, while on an inspection tour to another region, he passed through Yanzhou. His old friend, Xing Shao, who was the Inspector of Yanzhou, offered him a bolt of white silk, a local product.
Yuan Yuxiu politely declined his friend's kind offer, explaining that officials should be mindful of the 'melon field and plum tree' principle, meaning to avoid any actions that could arouse suspicion.
Idioms Related to 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠
Synonyms of 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠
More idioms starting with 瓜
- guā瓜dài代zhī之qī期end of one's tenure
- guā瓜fēn分dòu豆pōu剖to be carved up and partitioned
- guā瓜fēn分dǐng鼎zhì峙divided and confronting factions
- guā瓜pōu剖qí棋bù布orderly division and distribution
- guā瓜pōu剖dòu豆fēn分divided into many smaller parts
- guā瓜qū区dòu豆fēn分clearly demarcated and categorized
- guā瓜zì字chū初fēn分a girl's sixteenth birthday
- guā瓜lǐ李zhī之xián嫌to be in a suspicious situation
- guā瓜shú熟dì蒂luò落Success comes naturally when conditions are ripe
- guā瓜dié瓞mián绵mián绵continuous prosperity with many descendants
- guā瓜tián田bù不nà纳lǚ履，，lǐ李xià下bù不zhèng正guān冠Avoid suspicion
- guā瓜tián田zhī之xián嫌suspicion in a melon patch
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Open the tool →Questions about 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠
What does 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 mean?
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 (guā tián bù nà lǚ ， lǐ xià bù zhěng guān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to avoid actions or situations that could lead to suspicion or misinterpretation, even if one's intentions are innocent; to steer clear of anything that might invite unwanted scrutiny”.
How do you pronounce 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠?
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 is pronounced guā tián bù nà lǚ ， lǐ xià bù zhěng guān in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 literally mean?
Literally, 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 means “Don't tie your shoes in a melon field; don't adjust your hat under a plum tree”. It is used to mean “to avoid actions or situations that could lead to suspicion or misinterpretation, even if one's intentions are innocent; to steer clear of anything that might invite unwanted scrutiny”.
Where does 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 come from?
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠?
走过瓜田，不要弯下身子提鞋；经过李树下面，不要举起手来整理帽子。比喻避嫌疑。