p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards

瓜田不纳履

瓜田不納履
guātiánbúnàlǚ
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 in a melon field, do not adjust your shoe
  2. 2 avoid actions that look suspicious, even if innocent
  3. 3 keep out of situations where appearances will damn you

Examples

HSK 6
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠，做人要避嫌。
Guātiánbúnàlǚ, lǐ xià bù zhěng guān, zuòrén yào bì xián.
'In a melon field don't tie your shoe, under a plum tree don't straighten your cap' - in life, avoid giving cause for suspicion.
HSK 7-9
担任评审期间他处处瓜田不纳履，以免招致非议。
Dānrèn píngshěn qījiān tā chùchù guātiánbúnàlǚ, yǐmiǎn zhāozhì fēiyì.
While serving as a judge he was careful everywhere 'not to tie his shoe in the melon field' to avoid criticism.

Tips

history
From the 《乐府诗集·君子行》 (Yuefu folk poetry anthology, 'Song of the Gentleman'): 君子防未然，不处嫌疑间。瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠 - 'The gentleman guards against what has not yet happened; he does not linger in places of suspicion. In a melon patch he does not adjust his shoe; under a plum tree he does not straighten his cap.' Bending to tie a shoe among melons or reaching up under plums would look like stealing, even if innocent.
usage
Always paired with its twin 李下不整冠 ('under a plum tree, do not straighten your cap'). The modern lesson: avoid the appearance of wrongdoing, especially in conflict-of-interest situations - a standard phrase in Chinese business ethics.

Stroke Order

瓜 guā
田 tián
不 bù
纳 nà
履 lǚ