青天

qīngtiān

noun #35,575

Meanings

1 clear blue sky
2 an upright and honorable official

Characters

blue-green / azure

Examples

晴朗的青天上飘着几朵白云。

Qínglǎng de qīngtiān shàng piāozhe jǐ duǒ báiyún.

A few white clouds floated in the bright blue sky.

百姓都把他当作青天大老爷。

Bǎixìng dōu bǎ tā dàngzuò qīngtiān dàlǎoye.

The common people regarded him as an upright magistrate.

Tips

culture

The 'honest official' meaning comes from 包青天 (Bāo Qīngtiān) — Northern-Song judge 包拯 (999-1062), proverbial in folklore for incorruptibility. So 青天 = blue sky a good official is so transparent his rulings are 'clear as the blue sky'. Often expanded as 青天大老爷 ('honorable upright magistrate').

Stroke Order

青 qīng

天 tiān