一清二白

yīqīngèrbái

idiom

Meanings

1 perfectly clean
2 blameless
3 absolutely clear

Characters

Examples

他的账目一清二白，谁也挑不出毛病。

Tā de zhàngmù yīqīngèrbái, shéi yě tiāo bu chū máobìng.

His accounts are spotlessly clean — no one can find a thing wrong with them.

我做事一清二白，不怕别人查。

Wǒ zuòshì yīqīngèrbái, bù pà biéren chá.

I do things above board — I'm not afraid of being investigated.

Tips

history

Used by 茅盾 (Mao Dun) in 《劫后拾遗》 and 周立波 in 《暴风骤雨》, where characters insist their conduct is 一清二白 — entirely above suspicion. Modern usage carries the same defensive flavor: declaring innocence rather than describing it neutrally.

memory

Picture two clean elements: 一清 (one clear) + 二白 (two white). 'One pure, two spotless' — doubly innocent.

Stroke Order

一 yī

清 qīng

二 èr

白 bái