夙夜在公

sùyèzàigōng

idiom

Meanings

1 to work diligently for the public good from dawn to night
2 devoted to public service

Characters

at / engaged in

Examples

他夙夜在公，深受群众爱戴。

Tā sù yè zài gōng, shēn shòu qúnzhòng àidài.

He devotes himself to public duty day and night, deeply loved by the people.

这位老干部一生夙夜在公。

Zhè wèi lǎo gànbù yīshēng sù yè zài gōng.

This veteran official spent his whole life dedicated to public service.

作为公务员，应当夙夜在公，尽职尽责。

Zuòwéi gōngwùyuán, yīngdāng sù yè zài gōng, jìn zhí jìn zé.

As a civil servant, one should work tirelessly for the public and fulfill every duty.

Tips

history

From the 《诗经·召南·采蘩》 (Classic of Poetry, ~1000 BCE): '被之僮僮，夙夜在公' — describing a noblewoman performing sacrificial duties from dawn to night. Later applied to any tireless public service.

register

Highly formal and literary; mostly appears in official writing, eulogies, and political speeches.

Stroke Order

夙 sù

夜 yè

在 zài

公 gōng