清高

qīnggāo

adjective #19,951

Meanings

1 noble and aloof
2 above worldly concerns
3 loftily principled
4 above politics and material pursuits

Characters

Examples

他是个清高的学者，从不参与政治斗争。

Tā shì gè qīnggāo de xuézhě, cóng bù cānyù zhèngzhì dòuzhēng.

He is a lofty scholar who never gets involved in political struggles.

有些人觉得她太清高，难以相处。

Yǒu xiē rén juéde tā tài qīnggāo, nányǐ xiāngchǔ.

Some people find her too aloof and difficult to get along with.

Tips

usage

清高 can be either a compliment (principled, above corruption) or a criticism (snobbish, standoffish), depending on context. 自命清高 (zì mìng qīnggāo) means 'to think oneself above others' — always negative.

Stroke Order

清 qīng

高 gāo