ming4 geng3 gou1 jyun4明鏡高懸明镜高悬
Definition
To judge and enforce the law with complete fairness, impartiality, and integrity.
How it's used
Originating from the tradition of hanging a plaque with these four characters in old Chinese courtrooms, this idiom carries a formal and slightly literary weight. While it describes a judge or official, it is also used metaphorically to praise someone for being completely transparent and unbiased in their decision making. It is rarely used in casual, everyday small talk, appearing more often in news reports, formal speeches, or when discussing legal matters.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a common adjective describing any fair person, but it is specifically tied to the context of authority, judgment, or official oversight. Using it to describe a friend splitting a dinner bill or a teacher grading a simple quiz sounds overly dramatic and out of place.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
