📖 Meaning
An old term referring to someone who is well-versed in the Confucian classics and whose personal conduct is upright and principled. It describes a scholar whose academic mastery of the classics is matched by their moral integrity and exemplary behavior.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the 'Biography of Gao Rou' in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), specifically the Book of Wei. Gao Rou, a minister of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms period, used this expression to praise the court's scholars. He stated that the current doctors (academic officials) were all '经明行修' — thoroughly versed in the classics and of refined conduct — representing the finest selections of the entire realm.
💡 Example Usage
他一生经明行修，深受乡里敬重。
Throughout his life he was well-versed in the classics and upright in conduct, earning deep respect from his community.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 经明行修
- Pinyin: jīng míng xíng xiū
- Literal Translation: classics, clear, conduct, cultivated
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4