宠辱不惊
chǒng rǔ bù jīng
unmoved by praise or blame; calm whatever happens
Character by character
宠chǒng
favour
favour
辱rǔ
disgrace
disgrace
不bù
not
not
惊jīng
alarmed
alarmed
Example
不管别人夸他还是批评他，他都宠辱不惊，照样做自己的事。
Whether people praise him or criticise him, he stays unruffled and carries on with his work.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
An ideal of composure. The 《新唐书》 tells how the Tang official 卢承庆 graded a man low, then raised the grade, and when the man showed neither resentment nor joy praised him, 宠辱不惊, and graded him higher still. A late Ming couplet made it famous: 宠辱不惊，闲看庭前花开花落. Said of people who stay calm through fame and setbacks alike.
Learn this in Lesson 235 · HSK 9+: 我在故宫修文物 (Restoring the Forbidden City’s treasures)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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