📖 Meaning
If the source of a river is clear, the water downstream will be clear as well. Originally it meant that when those in high positions are good, those below them will also be good, and it is also used to describe the causal relationship between a root cause and its consequences.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom derives from a line in Xunzi's 'Jun Dao' (The Way of the Ruler), written by the Warring States philosopher Xun Kuang (c. 313–238 BCE): '源清则流清，源浊则流浊' — if the source is clear, the stream is clear; if the source is turbid, the stream is turbid. The four-character form 源清流洁 condenses this teaching about rulers and subjects. It was also cited in 'Sishui Pavilion Stele Inscription' by Ban Gu, a historian of the Eastern Han dynasty.
💡 Example Usage
领导作风清廉，源清流洁，团队自然风气端正。
When leaders are upright and honest, the source is clear and the stream runs pure, and the team naturally maintains proper conduct.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 源清流洁
- Pinyin: yuán qīng liú jié
- Literal Translation: source clear, stream pure
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4