出淤泥而不染

chūyūní'érbùrǎn

idiom

Meanings

1 to emerge from the mud unstained
2 to remain pure and principled amid a corrupt environment

Characters

yet (classical)

Examples

HSK 7-9

他在官场多年，出淤泥而不染，始终清廉。

Tā zài guānchǎng duōnián, chūyūní'érbùrǎn, shǐzhōng qīnglián.

After years in officialdom he has stayed unstained - honest and uncorrupted throughout.

HSK 7-9

这个行业风气不好，但她能出淤泥而不染，实在难得。

Zhège hángyè fēngqì bùhǎo, dàn tā néng chūyūní'érbùrǎn, shízài nándé.

The culture of this industry is poor, but she has stayed unstained by it - truly rare.

Tips

history

From Zhou Dunyi's (周敦颐) Song-dynasty prose 《爱莲说》 (On the Love of the Lotus): 予独爱莲之出淤泥而不染，濯清涟而不妖 - 'I alone love the lotus for emerging from the mud unstained, and being bathed in clear ripples yet not seductive.' The lotus is shorthand for the incorruptible gentleman (君子).

usage

Strong positive connotation - reserved for people of genuinely exceptional integrity, not just anyone who avoids trouble. Often paired with 濯清涟而不妖 in formal tribute writing.

Stroke Order

出 chū

淤 yū

泥 ní

而 ér

不 bù

染 rǎn