近朱者赤，近墨者黑

jìnzhūzhěchì,jìnmòzhěhēi

idiom

Meanings

1 those who handle cinnabar are stained red, those who work with ink are stained black
2 you become like the company you keep

Characters

vermilion / cinnabar

Examples

近朱者赤，近墨者黑，所以要慎重选择朋友。

Jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi, suǒyǐ yào shènzhòng xuǎnzé péngyou.

You become what you surround yourself with, so choose your friends carefully.

古人说近朱者赤，近墨者黑，环境对孩子的影响很大。

Gǔrén shuō jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi, huánjìng duì háizi de yǐngxiǎng hěn dà.

The ancients said one is colored by their company — the environment has a huge effect on children.

Tips

history

From Fu Xuan's 《太子少傅箴》 (Admonitions for the Crown Prince's Tutor), Western Jin dynasty: 故近朱者赤，近墨者黑；声和则响清，形正则影直 — therefore those near cinnabar turn red, those near ink turn black; if the sound is harmonious the echo is clear, if the form is upright the shadow is straight.

memory

朱 (zhū) = vermilion/cinnabar (red ink), 墨 (mò) = black ink. Picture a scribe whose hands are stained by whichever ink they grind.

Stroke Order

近 jìn

朱 zhū

者 zhě

赤 chì

墨 mò

黑 hēi