Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== fēnggǔ: 风骨 - Strength of Character, Integrity, Moral Backbone ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** fēnggǔ, 风骨, Chinese integrity, moral backbone in Chinese, strength of character, Chinese philosophy, Chinese literature, Wei-Jin Fengdu, Chinese aesthetics, what does fenggu mean, unyielding principles. * **Summary:** 风骨 (fēnggǔ) is a profound Chinese term that describes a person's unyielding integrity, moral backbone, and dignified character. It's a highly admired quality, often associated with scholars, artists, and officials who maintain their principles with a noble and steadfast bearing, especially in the face of adversity. More than just honesty, fēnggǔ represents a deep-seated strength of character that shapes one's actions, art, and entire way of being. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** fēng gǔ * **Part of Speech:** Noun * **HSK Level:** N/A (Advanced/Literary Term) * **Concise Definition:** A person's unyielding integrity, moral backbone, and dignified character. * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine a person's character as a skeleton. The "bones" (骨, gǔ) are their core principles—strong, solid, and unshakeable. The "wind" (风, fēng) is how they carry themselves—with a natural, free, and dignified manner that reflects this inner strength. Someone with 风骨 doesn't bend to pressure, corruption, or popular opinion. They stand tall and true to themselves, embodying a powerful combination of inner resilience and outward grace. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **风 (fēng):** This character primarily means "wind." In this context, it extends to mean "style," "manner," or "bearing." It represents the outward expression of one's character—a sense of natural, unrestrained dignity. * **骨 (gǔ):** This character means "bone." It symbolizes the inner structure, the core framework, and the fundamental strength of a person's principles and moral character. * Together, 风骨 literally means "wind and bone." This beautifully captures the concept: the inner, unshakeable "bone" of integrity is expressed through an outward "wind-like" manner of dignity and noble bearing. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== 风骨 is a concept deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy and aesthetics, particularly from the Wei-Jin period (220-420 AD). This was a time of political instability, leading many scholars and artists (文人, wénrén) to retreat from corrupt government service. They instead championed authenticity, individualism, and a principled life, an ethos known as 魏晋风度 (Wèi Jìn fēngdù). These intellectuals, like the famous "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" (竹林七贤), became the archetype of 风骨. They lived according to their own principles, finding value in art, nature, and philosophy rather than power or wealth. In art and literature, 风骨 refers to a style that is vigorous, direct, and imbued with the creator's strong character. A piece of calligraphy with 风骨 isn't just technically perfect; it feels alive with the artist's unbending spirit. **Comparison to a Western Concept:** The closest Western concept is "integrity" or "moral backbone." However, 风骨 is unique because it intrinsically links this moral strength to an **aesthetic dimension**. An American might say, "He's a man of integrity; he always does the right thing." A Chinese person admiring someone's 风骨 is appreciating not only *that* they do the right thing, but also the dignified, noble, and almost artistic *way* in which they stand by their principles. It's integrity expressed with a certain scholarly grace and steadfast composure. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== 风骨 is a formal, literary, and highly respectful term. It is not used in casual, everyday conversation. You would use it to confer high praise on someone, often in a more formal or written context. * **Praising Respected Figures:** It's most commonly used to describe historical figures, revered teachers, principled officials, or artists who demonstrate immense courage and integrity. For example, a journalist who refuses to be silenced by an authoritarian regime would be said to have 风骨. * **In Art and Literary Criticism:** People use it to praise a work of art (calligraphy, painting, poetry) that feels powerful, authentic, and free from superficiality. * **Connotation:** The connotation is entirely positive and expresses deep admiration. To say someone has 风骨 is one of the highest compliments you can pay to their character. Lacking it (没有风骨) is a severe criticism, implying someone is a spineless sycophant. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 这位老教授一身**风骨**，从不向权贵低头。 * Pinyin: Zhè wèi lǎo jiàoshòu yīshēn **fēnggǔ**, cóngbù xiàng quánguì dītóu. * English: This old professor embodies a spirit of integrity; he never bows to the powerful and influential. * Analysis: This is a classic usage, praising a scholar's unyielding principles in the face of pressure from authority. "一身风骨" (yīshēn fēnggǔ) literally means "a body full of fenggu," a common way to describe someone who fully embodies this quality. * **Example 2:** * 他的书法刚劲有力，尽显文人**风骨**。 * Pinyin: Tā de shūfǎ gāngjìng yǒulì, jìn xiǎn wénrén **fēnggǔ**. * English: His calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, fully revealing the noble character of a scholar. * Analysis: This shows the aesthetic application of the term. The "fenggu" is not just in the person, but is expressed through their art. * **Example 3:** * 在那个混乱的年代，保持**风骨**需要巨大的勇气。 * Pinyin: Zài nàge hùnluàn de niándài, bǎochí **fēnggǔ** xūyào jùdà de yǒngqì. * English: In that chaotic era, maintaining one's integrity required immense courage. * Analysis: This sentence highlights the context of adversity. 风骨 shines brightest when it is tested by difficult circumstances. * **Example 4:** * 人可以穷，但不能没有**风骨**。 * Pinyin: Rén kěyǐ qióng, dàn bùnéng méiyǒu **fēnggǔ**. * English: A person can be poor, but they cannot be without moral backbone. * Analysis: This is a common saying that frames 风骨 as a fundamental, non-negotiable human value, more important than material wealth. * **Example 5:** * 作为一个领导，他缺乏应有的**风骨**，总是看上级的脸色行事。 * Pinyin: Zuòwéi yīgè lǐngdǎo, tā quēfá yīngyǒu de **fēnggǔ**, zǒngshì kàn shàngjí de liǎnsè xíngshì. * English: As a leader, he lacks the necessary integrity; he always acts based on his superiors' whims. * Analysis: This is a negative example, using "lacks fenggu" (缺乏风骨) as a strong criticism of someone who is spineless and unprincipled. * **Example 6:** * 苏轼的诗词之所以流传千古，不仅因为文采，更因为其中蕴含的**风骨**。 * Pinyin: Sū Shì de shīcí zhī suǒyǐ liúchuán qiāngǔ, bùjǐn yīnwèi wéncǎi, gèng yīnwèi qízhōng yùnhán de **fēnggǔ**. * English: The reason Su Shi's poetry has been passed down for ages is not just its literary brilliance, but also the strength of character contained within it. * Analysis: This links the enduring value of a famous poet's work directly to the 风骨 it expresses. * **Example 7:** * 他宁愿辞职也不愿同流合污，这种**风骨**令人敬佩。 * Pinyin: Tā nìngyuàn cízhí yě bùyuàn tóngliúhéwū, zhè zhǒng **fēnggǔ** lìng rén jìngpèi. * English: He would rather resign than go along with the corruption; this kind of moral integrity is admirable. * Analysis: Here, 风骨 is demonstrated through a specific, principled action—choosing integrity over career. "同流合污" (tóngliúhéwū) is an idiom meaning to associate with corrupt people. * **Example 8:** * 这幅山水画的线条简约而坚定，充满了**风骨**。 * Pinyin: Zhè fú shānshuǐhuà de xiàntiáo jiǎnyuē ér jiāndìng, chōngmǎnle **fēnggǔ**. * English: The lines in this landscape painting are simple yet firm, filled with vigorous character. * Analysis: Another aesthetic usage, applying 风骨 to painting to describe a style that is strong and authentic, not merely decorative. * **Example 9:** * 父母教育我，做人要有**风骨**，不能为了利益而出卖原则。 * Pinyin: Fùmǔ jiàoyù wǒ, zuòrén yào yǒu **fēnggǔ**, bùnéng wèile lìyì ér chūmài yuánzé. * English: My parents taught me that to be a person of integrity, you must not sell out your principles for personal gain. * Analysis: This shows how 风骨 is seen as a core value to be taught and passed down through generations. * **Example 10:** * 面对威逼利诱，他展现了一个知识分子应有的**风骨**。 * Pinyin: Miànduì wēibīlìyòu, tā zhǎnxiànle yīgè zhīshì fēnzǐ yīngyǒu de **fēnggǔ**. * English: Facing threats and temptations, he displayed the integrity that an intellectual ought to have. * Analysis: This connects 风骨 directly to the social role and responsibility of an intellectual (知识分子, zhīshì fēnzǐ) in Chinese society. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Don't use it for trivial matters.** 风骨 is reserved for significant displays of moral principle. Saying someone has 风骨 because they are always on time or return a lost wallet is incorrect. While these are good deeds, they don't involve standing firm against major pressure or adversity. * **It's not just "stubbornness."** While someone with 风骨 is unyielding, their stance is based on deeply held moral or philosophical principles, not just simple obstinance. * **False Friend: "Backbone."** In English, you might casually tell a friend to "grow a backbone." You would **never** say this with 风骨. It is a term of deep respect used to describe someone, not a term of exhortation used to address someone directly in a casual manner. It is too formal and profound for that. * **Incorrect Usage Example:** * //WRONG:// 我男朋友很有**风骨**，他从不迟到。 * //(My boyfriend has great integrity, he's never late.)// * **Why it's wrong:** Punctuality is a good habit, but it doesn't demonstrate the profound moral courage implied by 风骨. This usage trivializes a very weighty concept. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[气节]] (qìjié) - Moral integrity, especially in the face of death, threat, or coercion. Very similar to 风骨 but with a stronger emphasis on loyalty and patriotic principle under extreme duress. * [[骨气]] (gǔqì) - Unyielding character, moral backbone. Literally "bone spirit/energy." Very close to 风骨, but focuses almost purely on the inner strength and defiance, with less of the aesthetic or scholarly nuance. * [[品格]] (pǐngé) - Character, moral quality. A much broader and more common term for a person's overall moral standing. 风骨 is a specific, and very high, type of 品格. * [[正直]] (zhèngzhí) - Upright, honest, righteous. A common adjective describing a good person. While someone with 风骨 is always 正直, not everyone who is 正直 has the profound, unbending quality of 风骨. * [[傲骨]] (àogǔ) - Lofty and unyielding character. Literally "proud bones." Describes a similar refusal to bow to pressure, but with a stronger connotation of pride or aloofness. It's integrity mixed with a defiant pride. * [[文人]] (wénrén) - The traditional Chinese scholar-official or intellectual. This is the social class most often associated with cultivating and exemplifying 风骨. * [[魏晋风度]] (Wèi Jìn fēngdù) - The "Wei-Jin style/ethos." The specific cultural and historical milieu from which the modern understanding of 风骨 is largely derived, emphasizing authenticity, freedom, and artistic expression.