📖 Meaning
Refers to hidden places where one cannot be seen by others, such as a dark room or an obscure corner of a house. It metaphorically emphasizes the importance of maintaining moral integrity and proper conduct even when alone and unobserved. The phrase serves as a reminder that one's true character is revealed in private moments.
📜 Origin Story
The term combines two classical Chinese references: '暗室' (a dark room) and '屋漏' (the northwest corner of a house, originally from the Book of Odes, 《诗经·大雅·抑》). Both refer to places hidden from public view. The combined phrase appears in Zhang Shinan's 《游宦纪闻》from the Song Dynasty, where he argues that exposing others' hidden wrongdoings, while lacking in elegance, at least makes people cautious and self-aware even in the most private of spaces.
💡 Example Usage
君子在暗室屋漏之中，亦当谨慎自守，不愧于心。
A gentleman should remain cautious and self-disciplined even in the most private and hidden of places, never acting against his own conscience.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 暗室屋漏
- Pinyin: àn shì wū lòu
- Literal Translation: dark, room, roof, corner
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4