瓜田不納履，李下不整冠

Chinese
 
melon; claw; gourd
melon; claw; gourd; squash
 field; farm not; no to accept; to pay (taxes, etc.) shoe; to tread on surname; plum
 
under; next; lower
under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter
 not; no
 
exactly; in good order; whole
exactly; in good order; whole; complete; entire; in order; orderly
 
to head; hat; crown
to head; hat; crown; crest; cap
trad. (瓜田不納履，李下不整冠) 瓜 田 不 納 履 ， 李 下 不 整 冠
simp. (瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠) 瓜 田 不 纳 履 ， 李 下 不 整 冠
Literally: “do not put on shoes in a melon patch; do not adjust a hat under a plum tree.”

Etymology

from Cao Zhi's poem Jūnzǐ Xíng (《君子行》, Three Kingdoms period).

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): guātián bù nà lǚ, lǐxià bù zhěng guān
    (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄚ ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄚˋ ㄌㄩˇ , ㄌㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄥˇ ㄍㄨㄢ
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: guātián bù nà lǚ, lǐxià bù zhěng guān [Phonetic: guātián bú nà lǚ, lǐxià bù zhěng guān]
      • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄚ ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄚˋ ㄌㄩˇ , ㄌㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄥˇ ㄍㄨㄢ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: guatián bù nà lyǔ, lǐsià bù jhěng guan
      • Wade–Giles: kua1-tʻien2 pu4 na4 lü3, li3-hsia4 pu4 chêng3 kuan1
      • Yale: gwā-tyán bù nà lyǔ-, lǐ-syà bù jěng gwān
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: guatyan bu nah leu, liishiah bu jeeng guan
      • Palladius: гуатянь бу на люй, лися бу чжэн гуань (guatjanʹ bu na ljuj, lisja bu čžɛn guanʹ)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /ku̯ä⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ nä⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯än⁵⁵/

Proverb

瓜田不納履，李下不整冠

  1. to avoid suspicion, don't put yourself in suspicious situations

Descendants
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