克己奉公
kè jǐ fèng gōng
to put public duty above self-interest
Character by character
克kè
restrain
restrain
己jǐ
self
self
奉fèng
serve
serve
公gōng
public
public
Example
他当了二十年村干部，克己奉公，从来不为自己家多要一分地。
He was a village cadre for twenty years and put public duty first, never asking a scrap more land for his own family.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the History of the Later Han (《后汉书》), which says the general 祭遵 was frugal and careful and 克己奉公. A stock phrase in official eulogies and in praise of officials, close to 廉洁奉公 (lesson 9-18); 克己 is to restrain oneself, as in Confucius’s 克己复礼.
Learn this in Lesson 256 · HSK 9+: 悼词 (The eulogy)
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.
Open the lesson →