📖 Meaning
Describes a man who remains proper and self-controlled in intimate situations with the opposite sex, showing no improper behavior. The idiom originates from the story of Liuxia Hui of the State of Lu, who held a freezing woman in his arms to warm her without any impropriety.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the Spring and Autumn period story of Liuxia Hui (柳下惠), a virtuous official of the State of Lu. According to legend, on a bitterly cold night, a freezing woman sought shelter, and Liuxia Hui held her against his body to warm her until dawn without committing any impropriety. The earliest written record appears in the Mao Heng commentary (毛亨传) on the Classic of Poetry's 'Xiang Bo' ode in the Minor Odes. Over centuries, the phrase became the standard metaphor for a man of impeccable moral discipline in relations between the sexes.
💡 Example Usage
面对美女的主动示好，他依然坐怀不乱，保持着君子的风度。
Faced with the woman's forward advances, he remained composed and retained the bearing of a true gentleman.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 坐怀不乱
- Pinyin: zuò huái bù luàn
- Literal Translation: sit, embrace, not, disturbed
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4