近朱近墨

jìnzhūjìnmò

idiom

Meanings

1 one is judged by the company one keeps
2 you become like those you spend time with
3 environment shapes character

Characters

Examples

近朱近墨，他跟那群人在一起，性格也变了。

Jìnzhūjìnmò, tā gēn nà qún rén zài yīqǐ, xìnggé yě biàn le.

You become who you hang out with — his personality changed after he joined that crowd.

父母重视孩子的朋友圈，因为近朱近墨。

Fùmǔ zhòngshì háizi de péngyǒu quān, yīnwèi jìnzhūjìnmò.

Parents care about their children’s friends because we’re shaped by who’s around us.

Tips

history

Compressed form of the better-known 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 ("near vermilion you turn red, near ink you turn black"), attributed to Western Jin scholar 傅玄 (Fu Xuan) in 《太子少傅箴》. 朱 = cinnabar red ink, 墨 = black ink — touch either pigment and you take its color.

Stroke Order

近 jìn

朱 zhū

墨 mò