明哲保身 míng zhé bǎo shēn

DEFINITIONS

  1. a wise man looks after his own hide (idiom)
  2. to put one's own safety before matters of principle

CHARACTERS

明 míng
HSK 1
bright, light, brilliant; clear
哲 zhé
HSK 5
wise, sagacious; wise man, sage
保 bǎo
HSK 4
protect, safeguard, defend, care
身 shēn
HSK 2
body; trunk, hull; rad. no. 158