克己奉公

kèjǐfènggōng

idiom

Meanings

1 to restrain oneself and serve the public interest
2 selfless dedication to duty
3 to put public duty above personal gain

Characters

to restrain, to subdue

to serve, to uphold

public, public interest

Examples

他一生克己奉公，两袖清风。

Tā yìshēng kèjǐfènggōng, liǎng xiù qīngfēng.

His whole life he restrained himself and served the public, leaving office as clean as he came.

作为一名公务员，就应该克己奉公，为人民服务。

Zuòwéi yì míng gōngwùyuán, jiù yīnggāi kèjǐfènggōng, wèi rénmín fúwù.

As a civil servant, one should curb personal interest and serve the public.

老厂长克己奉公，从不利用职权为家人谋利。

Lǎo chǎngzhǎng kèjǐfènggōng, cóng bú lìyòng zhíquán wèi jiārén móulì.

The old factory director put duty above self and never used his position to benefit his family.

Tips

history

From the Hou Han Shu biography of Ji Zun (《后汉书·祭遵传》): 遵为人廉约小心，克己奉公 — 'Ji Zun was honest, frugal, careful; he restrained himself and served the public.' A standard phrase for praising incorruptible officials ever since.

register

Formal, laudatory. Common in official biographies, obituaries, and Party discourse. Pair with 两袖清风 (clean sleeves — untainted by graft) or 鞠躬尽瘁 (bending fully to duty).

Stroke Order

克 kè

己 jǐ

奉 fèng

公 gōng