清水衙门

清水衙門

qīngshuǐyámén

idiom

Meanings

1 a poor/lean government office
2 a department with no perks or kickbacks
3 a "clean-water" bureau

Characters

government office

gate / department

Examples

他在清水衙门干了一辈子。

Tā zài qīngshuǐ yámén gàn le yībèizi.

He spent his whole career in a bureau with no side income.

这是个清水衙门，没什么油水。

Zhè shì gè qīngshuǐ yámén, méi shénme yóushuǐ.

This office is bone-dry — no fringe benefits to skim.

Tips

culture

衙门 (yámén) was the imperial local government office. 清水 ("plain water") contrasts with 油水 ("oil-water" = illicit gains). The phrase is still widely used in modern PRC discourse about civil-service posts.

Stroke Order

清 qīng

水 shuǐ

衙 yá

门 mén