cultivate one's moral character
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesverb
to cultivate one's moral character; to improve one's moral cultivation
formalCommonly used in classical Confucian contexts and formal modern writing. Frequently appears in the set phrase 修身养性 (xiūshēn-yǎngxìng), meaning to cultivate one's body and nurture one's nature.
Rú儒
jiā家
qiáng强
diào调
xiū修
shēn身
qí齐
jiā家
zhì治
guó国
píng平
tiān天
xià下
。
Confucianism emphasizes cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world.
Tā他
měi每
rì日
dú读
shū书
，
zhù注
zhòng重
xiū修
shēn身
lì立
dé德
。
He reads books every day, focusing on cultivating his character and establishing virtue.
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Wǒ我
men们
yào要
xiān先
xiū修
shēn身
，
zài再
tán谈
qí其
tā他
。
We must first cultivate ourselves before talking about anything else.
Jìng静
xīn心
xiū修
shēn身
，
fāng方
néng能
zhì致
yuǎn远
。
Only by calming the mind and cultivating oneself can one reach far.