諺語 · a single proverb
大公無私
Simplified: 大公无私
What does 大公無私 (dà gōng wú sī) mean?
大公無私 (dà gōng wú sī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "great impartiality without selfishness." In use it means: Acting entirely in the public interest with no personal agenda; the rare quality of genuine selflessness in a position of power. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "great impartiality without selfishness."
The reading
The decision benefited everyone except the person who made it. That is not an accident. That is the definition. True impartiality costs something personal every time, because the private interest is always there, sitting at the table, being deliberately not served.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lü Shi Chunqiu 呂氏春秋, Qu Si 去私
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 大公無私 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 大公無私 (dà gōng wú sī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Lü Shi Chunqiu 呂氏春秋, Qu Si 去私. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 大公無私?
In Mandarin it is dà gōng wú sī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 大公無私 aloud in Mandarin.