守本分

shǒuběnfèn

phrase

Meanings

1 to know one's place; stay within bounds
2 to do one's proper duty (and no more)

Characters

to guard; keep to

root; one's own

share; allotted role

Examples

老老实实守本分,别惹事。

Lǎolaoshíshí shǒu běnfèn, bié rěshì.

Just keep your head down and stay in your lane — don't stir up trouble.

她是个守本分的员工,从不抱怨。

Tā shì ge shǒu běnfèn de yuángōng, cóng bù bàoyuàn.

She's a dutiful employee who never complains.

Tips

culture

本分 means 'one's allotted role / what is properly one's own'. 守本分 — 'keep to one's allotted role' — sits at the heart of traditional Confucian social order: each person fulfilling the role they're born into. Modern usage can be approving ('responsible, no overreach') or mildly critical ('lacks ambition').

Stroke Order

守 shǒu

本 běn

分 fēn