古井无波

古井無波
gǔjǐng-wúbō
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 calm and collected
  2. 2 unaffected by external influences
  3. 3 lit. an old well without ripples

Examples

HSK 4
Tīngdào zhège xiāoxī, tā yīrán gǔjǐng-wúbō.
Hearing the news, he remained as calm as an undisturbed old well.
HSK 7-9
修身养性多年心境古井无波
Tā xiūshēn-yǎngxìng duōnián, xīnjìng gǔjǐng-wúbō.
After years of cultivation, her mind was as still as a placid old well.

Tips

history
From Bai Juyi's (白居易) Tang-dynasty poem 《赠元稹》: 无波古井水,有节秋竹竿 - 'a still old well's water, an upright autumn bamboo'. Bai used the image to praise his friend Yuan Zhen's steady, principled character.
memory
Picture an ancient well with no wind, no ripples - perfectly still water. That's the mind of someone unmoved by external events.

Stroke Order

jǐng