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gāng 刚 zhèng 正 bù 不 ē 阿

刚正不阿 gāng zhèng bù ē

upright and incorruptible; principled and unbending

Literally: firm upright not flatter

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Origin

From the Ming novel Xingshi Hengyan by Feng Menglong, describing an official who was 刚正不阿 and would not bow to the powerful.

How to use it

Predicate or attributive; positive, formal. Often 刚正不阿的官员/性格.

Example sentences

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  1. 包公刚正不阿，即使面对皇亲国戚也秉公执法。
    Bāo Gōng gāng zhèng bù ē, jíshǐ miànduì huángqīn guóqī yě bǐng gōng zhí fǎ.
    Lord Bao was upright and unbending; he enforced the law impartially even toward imperial relatives.
    Bao Lord firm upright not flatter, even if face imperial-relative state-relative also hold justice enforce law
  2. 这位记者刚正不阿，多次揭露官员的腐败行为。
    Zhè wèi jìzhě gāng zhèng bù ē, duō cì jiēlù guānyuán de fǔbài xíngwéi.
    This journalist is principled and fearless and has repeatedly exposed officials' corruption.
    this (measure) journalist firm upright not flatter, many time expose official (attributive particle) corrupt behavior

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