安分守己

ānfènshǒujǐ

idiom #23,697

Meanings

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

Characters

peace / contentment / to be at ease

one's lot / duty / station in life

to guard / to abide by / to keep

Examples

他出狱后安分守己，努力重建生活。

Tā chūyù hòu ānfèn shǒujǐ, nǔlì chóngjiàn shēnghuó.

After his release from prison, he kept to the straight and narrow and worked hard to rebuild his life.

做人要安分守己，不要贪图不属于自己的东西。

Zuòrén yào ānfèn shǒujǐ, 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

安 ān

分 fēn

守 shǒu

己 jǐ