jiéshēnzìhào: 洁身自好 - To Maintain One's Moral Integrity

• Keywords: 洁身自好, jieshenzihao, Chinese idiom for integrity, moral purity in Chinese, keep oneself clean Chinese, Confucian values, self-discipline Chinese, stay out of trouble Chinese, leading a clean life, 洁身自爱, Chinese chengyu.
• Summary: The Chinese idiom 洁身自好 (jié shēn zì hào) describes the principle of actively maintaining one's moral purity and integrity by staying away from corrupting influences or temptations. Rooted in Confucian values, it's a highly respected personal quality that means to cherish one's character and consciously avoid situations that could tarnish one's reputation. It's not just about being a good person, but about the diligent practice of self-discipline to lead an honorable and “clean” life.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): jié shēn zì hào
• Part of Speech: 成语 (chéngyǔ) - Chinese Idiom / Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: Advanced / HSK 6+
• Concise Definition: To preserve one's moral purity and integrity by avoiding corrupting influences.
• In a Nutshell: Imagine you're wearing a brand new, perfectly white suit to a party where people are having a food fight with spaghetti. 洁身自好 is the act of consciously staying far away from the mess to keep your suit pristine. It’s a proactive choice to protect your character (the white suit) from the “stains” of corruption, bad behavior, or social drama. It implies a high degree of self-awareness and self-respect.

• 洁 (jié): Clean, pure. The water radical (氵) on the left hints at washing and purification.
• 身 (shēn): Body, person, or oneself.
• 自 (zì): Self, oneself, from.
• 好 (hào): (Note the 4th tone) To love, to value, to be fond of. This is different from the common character `好 (hǎo)`, which means “good”.

The characters literally combine to mean “to clean one's body and value oneself.” Metaphorically, this means to keep one's character pure and to cherish one's own integrity and reputation above all. The key is understanding `好 (hào)` as an active verb of “valuing” or “cherishing,” which gives the idiom its sense of proactive self-discipline.

洁身自好 is a concept deeply embedded in Chinese culture, heavily influenced by Confucian ideals. It reflects the value placed on the `君子 (jūnzǐ)`, the ideal “gentleman” or “noble person,” who cultivates their personal virtue regardless of the chaos or corruption of the world around them. It is the individual's responsibility to maintain their moral compass. A useful Western comparison is the phrase “to keep your nose clean.” However, there's a key difference in motivation. “Keeping your nose clean” is often pragmatic—it's about avoiding trouble, staying out of jail, or not getting fired. 洁身自好, on the other hand, is more philosophical and internal. It's about protecting one's honor and inner purity for its own sake, because integrity is an essential part of one's identity. It's less about avoiding punishment and more about upholding virtue. This idiom is tied to core Chinese cultural values like self-discipline (`自律, zìlǜ`), personal integrity (`正直, zhèngzhí`), and the importance of reputation or “face” (`面子, miànzi`). To lose one's integrity is to lose face not just for oneself, but for one's family.

洁身自好 is a formal idiom, most often found in writing, news reports, serious discussions, or when giving advice.

• Praising Officials and Public Figures: It is commonly used to praise a politician, judge, or CEO who remains uncorrupted in a tempting environment. “Despite the widespread corruption, he has always managed to 洁身自好.”
• Personal Advice: An elder might advise a young person moving to a big city to “remember to 洁身自好,” meaning they should choose their friends wisely and avoid bad habits like gambling or excessive drinking.
• Workplace Dynamics: It can describe a colleague who refuses to participate in office gossip or backstabbing, choosing to simply focus on their work.

While overwhelmingly positive, it can occasionally carry a subtle, slightly negative connotation of being aloof or “holier-than-thou.” Someone who is too focused on 洁身自好 might be seen as unwilling to get their hands dirty or help with a messy but necessary situation.

• Example 1:
  • 作为一个政府官员，他一直洁身自好，从不接受任何贿赂。
  • Pinyin: Zuòwéi yīgè zhèngfǔ guānyuán, tā yīzhí jié shēn zì hào, cóngbù jiēshòu rènhé huìlù.
  • English: As a government official, he has always maintained his integrity and never accepted any bribes.
  • Analysis: This is a classic, positive use of the term, praising someone's incorruptible character in a position of power.
• Example 2:
  • 妈妈告诉即将上大学的女儿，在新的环境里一定要洁身自好。
  • Pinyin: Māma gàosù jíjiāng shàng dàxué de nǚ'ér, zài xīn de huánjìng lǐ yīdìng yào jié shēn zì hào.
  • English: The mother told her daughter, who was about to go to college, that she must lead a clean and principled life in the new environment.
  • Analysis: Here, it's used as parental advice, encouraging moral self-discipline and wise choices.
• Example 3:
  • 娱乐圈很复杂，但这位女演员却能洁身自好，几乎没有任何负面新闻。
  • Pinyin: Yúlèquān hěn fùzá, dàn zhè wèi nǚ yǎnyuán què néng jié shēn zì hào, jīhū méiyǒu rènhé fùmiàn xīnwén.
  • English: The entertainment industry is very complicated, but this actress has managed to maintain her integrity, with almost no negative press.
  • Analysis: This highlights someone staying “clean” in an industry known for scandals.
• Example 4:
  • 面对公司里的勾心斗角，他选择洁身自好，不参与任何派系。
  • Pinyin: Miànduì gōngsī lǐ de gōuxīndòujiǎo, tā xuǎnzé jié shēn zì hào, bù cānyù rènhé pàixì.
  • English: Faced with the office politics and infighting, he chose to stay out of it and not join any faction.
  • Analysis: This shows the idiom's use in the context of avoiding social “messiness” or drama.
• Example 5:
  • 他年轻时没能洁身自好，交了一些坏朋友，结果毁了自己的前途。
  • Pinyin: Tā niánqīng shí méi néng jié shēn zì hào, jiāole yīxiē huài péngyǒu, jiéguǒ huǐle zìjǐ de qiántú.
  • English: When he was young, he failed to maintain his integrity, made some bad friends, and ended up ruining his future.
  • Analysis: This is an example of the negative form (`没能…`), showing the consequences of not adhering to this principle.
• Example 6:
  • 在一段忠诚的关系中，双方都应该洁身自好。
  • Pinyin: Zài yīduàn zhōngchéng de guānxì zhōng, shuāngfāng dōu yīnggāi jié shēn zì hào.
  • English: In a faithful relationship, both partners should be morally upright (i.e., remain faithful).
  • Analysis: The idiom can be extended to contexts of romantic fidelity and loyalty.
• Example 7:
  • 即使生活贫困，那位学者也始终洁身自好，不为五斗米折腰。
  • Pinyin: Jíshǐ shēnghuó pínkùn, nà wèi xuézhě yě shǐzhōng jié shēn zì hào, bù wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhé yāo.
  • English: Even though he lived in poverty, that scholar always maintained his moral purity and would not compromise his principles for a meager salary.
  • Analysis: A more literary example, connecting integrity with scholarly virtue and resilience against hardship.
• Example 8:
  • “洁身自好”是我的座右铭，我不想和那些人同流合污。
  • Pinyin: “Jié shēn zì hào” shì wǒ de zuòyòumíng, wǒ bùxiǎng hé nàxiē rén tóngliúhéwū.
  • English: “To maintain my integrity” is my motto; I don't want to associate with those corrupt people.
  • Analysis: Shows the term used as a personal principle, contrasted directly with its antonym, `同流合污` (to wallow in the mire with others).
• Example 9:
  • 有些人批评他过于洁身自好，在团队需要变通时显得有些不合群。
  • Pinyin: Yǒuxiē rén pīpíng tā guòyú jié shēn zì hào, zài tuánduì xūyào biàntōng shí xiǎnde yǒuxiē bù héqún.
  • English: Some people criticize him for being too righteous, seeming a bit aloof when the team needs to be flexible.
  • Analysis: This example demonstrates the subtle negative connotation. Here, his “purity” is seen as rigid and uncooperative.
• Example 10:
  • 在这个行业里，想要完全洁身自好是非常困难的。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhège hángyè lǐ, xiǎngyào wánquán jié shēn zì hào shì fēicháng kùnnán de.
  • English: In this line of business, it's extremely difficult to remain completely untainted.
  • Analysis: This acknowledges the difficulty of upholding this ideal in a morally gray or corrupt environment.

• `hào` not `hǎo`: The most common mistake for learners is to read the last character as `hǎo` (good). It is `hào` (to love, to cherish). The meaning is “to cherish oneself (i.e., one's character),” not “oneself is good.”
• Moral, not Physical: Do not confuse `洁身 (jié shēn)` with simple physical cleanliness. The term is almost exclusively used for moral, ethical, and reputational purity.
  • Incorrect: 他每天都洗澡，非常洁身自好。 (Tā měitiān dōu xǐzǎo, fēicháng jié shēn zì hào.) → He showers every day, he is very morally pure. This is wrong. The correct word for physical cleanliness would be `爱干净 (ài gānjìng)`.
• False Friend: “Self-righteous” / “Holier-than-thou”: While someone who is 洁身自好 might be perceived as self-righteous by others (as in Example 9), the term itself is a compliment. It denotes a virtue. “Self-righteous” in English is a criticism, implying someone is smug and judgmental. 洁身自好 focuses on one's own conduct, not judging others.

• 洁身自爱 (jié shēn zì ài) - A very close synonym, often used interchangeably. It means “to keep oneself pure and love oneself,” with `爱 (ài)` being a more direct word for “love.”
• 出淤泥而不染 (chū yū ní ér bù rǎn) - A beautiful, poetic idiom meaning “to emerge from the mud unstained.” It perfectly describes someone who maintains their purity despite being in a corrupt environment.
• 清正廉洁 (qīng zhèng lián jié) - More specific to officials and people in power. It means “honest, upright, and incorruptible.”
• 同流合污 (tóng liú hé wū) - A direct antonym. It means “to join in the corruption,” literally “to flow in the same stream and mix with the filth.”
• 独善其身 (dú shàn qí shēn) - “To perfect one's own virtue in solitude.” It's about maintaining one's own integrity, especially when the wider world is chaotic and cannot be changed. It can sometimes imply a more passive or withdrawn approach than 洁身自好.
• 正直 (zhèngzhí) - An adjective meaning “upright, honest, principled.” This describes the quality of a person, while 洁身自好 is the action or principle of maintaining that quality.
• 君子 (jūnzǐ) - The Confucian ideal of a “noble person” or “gentleman” who embodies virtues like integrity, discipline, and moral uprightness. A `君子` strives to be 洁身自好.