光明磊落

Pronunciation: guāng míng lěi luò Literal meaning: Bright and open-hearted

Origin & Usage

Bright (光) and clear (明), open and unhidden (磊落). 磊 is three stones stacked out in the open, and the word keeps that sense of everything being where it can be counted. What the phrase claims is not that somebody has done no wrong but that nothing in their conduct is arranged to be hidden, which is a different and more testable virtue. References and obituaries are full of it, and it is the standard defence of somebody under suspicion — the argument being that a life run this way could not have concealed the thing alleged.

Examples

English: "He is known for his upright character and transparent dealings."

Chinese: 他以光明磊落的品格和透明的处事方式著称。