卑躬屈膝

bēigōng-qūxī

idiom

Meanings

HSK 5

他在老板面前总是卑躬屈膝。

Tā zài lǎobǎn miànqián zǒngshì bēigōng-qūxī.

He always bows and scrapes in front of the boss.

HSK 7-9

我们可以谈合作，但绝不会为了订单卑躬屈膝。

Wǒmen kěyǐ tán hézuò, dàn juébù huì wèile dìngdān bēigōng-qūxī.

We're open to cooperation, but we will never grovel for an order.

usage

Sharply contemptuous. Compare 卑躬屈节, where 节 "integrity" makes the moral charge explicit, and the opposite, 顶天立地 "standing tall".

卑 bēi

躬 gōng

屈 qū

膝 xī