城府 (chéng fǔ) — shrewdness, subtlety (in one's character); depth of calculation or mental reserve
Definition
Refers to a person's hidden shrewdness or mental depth — usually with 很深 or 不浅, describing someone whose real thoughts are hard to read. Implies calculation and reserve, generally neutral-to-negative.
noun
shrewdnesssubtlety (in one's character)depth of calculation or mental reserve
Examples
- 城府，。Tā zhè ge rén chéng fǔ hěn shēn, nǐ hěn nán cāi tòu tā zài xiǎng shén me.He is a very shrewd person — it's hard to guess what he's thinking.
- ，城府，。Suī rán tā nián jì bú dà, dàn chéng fǔ bù qiǎn, zuò shì hěn yǒu fēn cùn.Although she's young, she's quite subtle and handles things with good judgment.
- ，城府。Zài guān chǎng shàng, méi yǒu chéng fǔ de rén hěn nán shēng cún.In official circles, people without shrewdness find it hard to survive.
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