能上能下

néngshàng-néngxià
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 ready to take any job, high or low
  2. 2 willing to be promoted or demoted as needed
  3. 3 flexible about rank or position

Examples

HSK 7-9
Yī ge hǎo gànbù yīnggāi néngshàng-néngxià, bú jìjiào gèrén déshī.
A good cadre should be willing to take any post, high or low, without worrying about personal gain or loss.
HSK 7-9
Tā néngshàng-néngxià, cóng zǒngjīnglǐ dào jīcéng yuángōng dōu gàn guò.
He is flexible about rank - he has served both as general manager and as a frontline employee.

Tips

usage
Stock phrase in discussions of cadre promotion and performance-based management. Positive - praises the absence of rank-consciousness. Often paired with 能进能出 (ready to join or leave) or 能伸能屈 (can bend or stretch).
memory
Four-character grammatical parallel: + / + . 'Can go up, can go down' - a willingness to move in either direction on the career ladder.

Stroke Order

néng
shàng
xià