# 大公无私

dà gōng wú sī

Be impartial and free of selfish motives

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Entirely public minded and without private interest

**Traditional Chinese:** 大公無私

**Register:** Appreciative · formal

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Praise fairness in decisions serving others.

Healthy personal needs are not automatically selfish.

## Understanding the expression

The phrase sets common interests ahead of private advantage. Modern use praises a person who makes fair decisions without favoring themselves, relatives, or friends. It often concerns responsibility for resources or public trust. The ideal is impartial conduct, not the erasure of every personal need. Clear procedures help make such fairness visible, because an admirable claim of selflessness still benefits from evidence that decisions are consistent and accountable.

## Examples

她分配名额时大公无私。

### Traditional Chinese

她分配名額時大公無私。

tā fēn pèi míng é shí dà gōng wú sī 。

She allocated places impartially.

裁判必须大公无私。

### Traditional Chinese

裁判必須大公無私。

cái pàn bì xū dà gōng wú sī 。

Referees must be impartial.

他拒绝照顾亲友，表现得大公无私。

### Traditional Chinese

他拒絕照顧親友，表現得大公無私。

tā jù jué zhào gù qīn yǒu ， biǎo xiàn dé dà gōng wú sī 。

He showed impartiality by refusing favoritism toward relatives.

大家尊重她大公无私的决定。

### Traditional Chinese

大家尊重她大公無私的決定。

dà jiā zūn zhòng tā dà gōng wú sī de jué dìng 。

Everyone respects her fair, selfless decision.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%A4%A7%E5%85%AC%E7%84%A1%E7%A7%81)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=234&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

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- [大庭广众 dà tíng guǎng zhòng A public place with many people present ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/da-ting-guang-zhong)

- [大义灭亲 dà yì miè qīn Uphold justice despite family ties ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/da-yi-mie-qin)

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