不亢不卑 — “To be neither overbearing nor servile”
不亢不卑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be neither overbearing nor servile”. To maintain a balanced and dignified attitude in dealings with others, showing neither arrogance nor humility. Literally, “Neither arrogant nor humble”.
Frequency
不亢不卑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 不bù
- 亢kàng
- 不bù
- 卑bēi
不亢不卑 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 不亢不卑
他在与人交流时，总是表现得不亢不卑，赢得了大家的尊重。
When communicating with others, he always carries himself with neither arrogance nor servility, earning everyone's respect.
Origin and Story of 不亢不卑
During the late Spring and Autumn period, Yan Ying, the Chancellor of the State of Qi, was sent as an envoy to the State of Chu. The King of Chu tried every means to humiliate him.
First, he was made to enter the city through a small gate. Then, the King called him a dwarf, served him the worst food, and finally tried to shame him with two prisoners from Qi.
However, Yan Ying's neither humble nor overbearing attitude and superb diplomatic skills impressed the King, who ultimately brought shame upon himself.
Idioms Related to 不亢不卑
Antonyms of 不亢不卑
More idioms starting with 不
- bù不yī一ér而zú足numerous and varied, impossible to list all
- bù不sān三bù不sì四improper or disreputable
- bù不shàng上bù不xià下stuck in an awkward position
- bù不shàng上bù不luò落in an awkward or embarrassing situation
- bù不shì世zhī之yè业unparalleled achievements
- bù不shì世zhī之chóu仇unrivaled enmity
- bù不shì世zhī之gōng功unparalleled achievement
- bù不shì世zhī之lüè略unparalleled strategy
- bù不sàng丧bǐ匕chàng鬯peace and order, rituals undisturbed
- bù不fēng丰bù不jiǎn俭neither extravagant nor frugal
- bù不fēng丰bù不shā杀neither extravagant nor frugal
- bù不wèi为wǔ五dǒu斗mǐ米zhé折yāo腰Refuse to compromise integrity for meager gain
Questions about 不亢不卑
- What does 不亢不卑 mean?
- 不亢不卑 (bù kàng bù bēi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be neither overbearing nor servile”.
- How do you pronounce 不亢不卑?
- 不亢不卑 is pronounced bù kàng bù bēi in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 不亢不卑 literally mean?
- Literally, 不亢不卑 means “Neither arrogant nor humble”. It is used to mean “to be neither overbearing nor servile”.
- Where does 不亢不卑 come from?
- 不亢不卑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 不亢不卑?
- 亢：高傲；卑：低、自卑。指对人有恰当的分寸，既不低声下气，也不傲慢自大。