安分守己

ānfèn-shǒujǐ
idiom #23,697

Meanings

  1. 1 to know one's place
  2. 2 to be law-abiding and content with one's lot
  3. 3 to not overstep one's bounds

Examples

Tā chūyù hòu ānfènshǒujǐ, nǔlì chóngjiàn shēnghuó.
After his release from prison, he kept to the straight and narrow and worked hard to rebuild his life.
Zuòrén yào ānfènshǒujǐ, bùyào tāntú bù shǔyú zìjǐ de dōngxi.
In life, one should know their place and not covet things that don't belong to them.

Tips

usage
安分守己 can be positive (law-abiding, modest) or slightly negative depending on context — in some uses it implies passive acceptance of one's station in life. It is sometimes used to advise someone to stop causing trouble.

Stroke Order

ān
fēn
shǒu