諺語 · a single proverb
恪盡職守
Simplified: 恪尽职守
What does 恪盡職守 (kè jìn zhí shǒu) mean?
恪盡職守 (kè jìn zhí shǒu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "respectfully fulfill duty and keep." In use it means: Faithfully and carefully fulfill one's duties; be conscientious in one's work. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "respectfully fulfill duty and keep."
The reading
The one who tends the post through the night hours when no supervisor watches has understood something about duty that those who perform it only in daylight have not. Work that is completed the same way whether or not anyone is looking is work that has been taken seriously as its own reason. This is professionalism in its deepest sense.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese idiom (common in official and professional contexts)
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 恪盡職守 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 恪盡職守 (kè jìn zhí shǒu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese idiom (common in official and professional contexts). 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 恪盡職守?
In Mandarin it is kè jìn zhí shǒu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 恪盡職守 aloud in Mandarin.