公事公办

公事公辦

gōngshìgōngbàn

idiom #18,803

Meanings

1 to handle things by the book
2 to act in a strictly businesslike manner
3 to follow official procedures without favoritism

Characters

public; official

public; official

to handle; to do

Examples

他这个人公事公办，从不给人开后门。

Tā zhège rén gōngshìgōngbàn, cóng bù gěi rén kāi hòumén.

He does everything by the book and never gives anyone special treatment.

对不起，我只能公事公办。

Duìbùqǐ, wǒ zhǐ néng gōngshìgōngbàn.

Sorry, I can only handle this through proper channels.

Tips

usage

Can be positive (impartial, fair) or negative (rigid, bureaucratic), depending on context. When someone says 公事公办, they may be signaling they will not bend rules for personal relationships.

Stroke Order

公 gōng

事 shì

办 bàn