知恩图报

zhī ēn tú bào

to remember a kindness and repay it

Character by character

知zhī
know

恩ēn
kindness

图tú
seek

报bào
repay

当年是村里人帮他读完了大学，他知恩图报，回村建了一所小学。

Years ago the villagers helped him through university; repaying their kindness, he went back and built a primary school.

Tone: positive (praise).

Praises gratitude shown in deeds. Common in moral talk, speeches and news stories. The opposite is 忘恩负义, to forget a kindness and betray it.

Learn this in Lesson 46 · HSK 5–6: 孝与顺 (Filial piety)

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.