明哲保身 — “To be worldly-wise and play safe”
明哲保身 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be worldly-wise and play safe”. To be sagacious enough to protect oneself from trouble, often implying a cautious attitude to avoid involvement in difficult or principled situations out of self-interest. Literally, “wise and discerning to protect oneself”.
明哲保身 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 明míng
- 哲zhé
- 保bǎo
- 身shēn
明哲保身 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 明哲保身
Origin and Story of 明哲保身
During the Zhou Dynasty, King Xuan valued appointing individuals who possessed both virtue and talent, which led to the revitalization of his kingdom.
When foreign tribes frequently invaded, King Xuan dispatched his minister, Zhong Shanfu, to the Qi region to construct city walls.
The minister Yin Jifu wrote a poem praising Zhong Shanfu, saying: 'He is both discerning and wise, thereby protecting himself; diligently, day and night, he serves the one ruler.' This line commended Zhong Shanfu for his tireless dedication.
Idioms Related to 明哲保身
Synonyms of 明哲保身
Antonyms of 明哲保身
More idioms starting with 明
- míng明zhēng争àn暗dòu斗open contention and covert struggle
- míng明yú于zhì治luàn乱understand principles of order and disorder
- míng明rén人bù不zuò作àn暗shì事An upright person acts openly
- míng明rén人bù不zuò做àn暗shì事An honest person acts openly
- míng明rén人bù不shuō说àn暗huà话A frank person speaks directly
- míng明xiū修àn暗dù度openly feign, secretly act
- míng明xiū修zhàn栈dào道，，àn暗dù度chén陈cāng仓feint in one direction, advance in another
- míng明xiū修zhàn栈dào道，，àn暗dù渡chén陈cāng仓feign one thing, do another
- míng明guāng光shuò烁liàng亮Dazzlingly bright and sparkling
- míng明guāng光zhēng铮liàng亮Dazzlingly bright and gleaming
- míng明guāng光zèng锃liàng亮dazzlingly bright and polished
- míng明gōng公zhèng正yì义Open, fair, and just
Questions about 明哲保身
- What does 明哲保身 mean?
- 明哲保身 (míng zhé bǎo shēn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be worldly-wise and play safe”.
- How do you pronounce 明哲保身?
- 明哲保身 is pronounced míng zhé bǎo shēn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 明哲保身 literally mean?
- Literally, 明哲保身 means “wise and discerning to protect oneself”. It is used to mean “to be worldly-wise and play safe”.
- Where does 明哲保身 come from?
- 明哲保身 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 明哲保身?
- 明智的人善于保全自己。现指因怕连累自己而回避原则斗争的处世态度。