奉公守法 (fèng gōng shǒu fǎ) — law-abiding; to carry out one's duties faithfully and obey the law; (of a public servant) to serve the public interest and abide by legal regulations

Definition

A formal, chengyu-style idiom meaning 'law-abiding and dutiful' — used for citizens or, especially, public servants who serve the public interest and observe the law. Reads as written/literary register, stronger than plain 守法.

idiom
law-abidingto carry out one's duties faithfully and obey the law(of a public servant) to serve the public interest and abide by legal regulations

Examples

  • 奉公守法，。
    Měi yí gè gōng mín dōu yīng gāi fèng gōng shǒu fǎ, wéi hù shè huì zhì xù.
    Every citizen should be law-abiding and maintain social order.
  • 奉公守法，。
    Tā yì shēng fèng gōng shǒu fǎ, cóng méi zuò guò wéi fǎ de shì.
    He was law-abiding all his life and never did anything illegal.
  • ，奉公守法，。
    Zuò wéi gōng wù yuán, bì xū fèng gōng shǒu fǎ, quán xīn quán yì wèi rén mín fú wù.
    As a public servant, one must be dutiful and law-abiding, serving the people wholeheartedly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

奉公serve the public
奉fèngserve公gōngpublic
动宾Verb + object
守法obey the law
守shǒuobey法fǎlaw
动宾Verb + object

奉公 means serving the public and 守法 means keeping to law, together describing law-abiding conduct.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
廾廾gǒngtwo hands
Sound part声符shēngfú
丰
丰fēng奉fèng
Same sound today

奉 pairs 丰 for the pronunciation with 廾, 'two hands', as the meaning part.

Open 奉 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

One theory sees 公 as a picture of a wide-mouthed, round-bottomed jar.

Open 公 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 宀宀miánroof; building
  • 寸寸cùnhand

守 pairs 宀, a roof or building, with 寸, a hand, to show a hand guarding a place.

Open 守 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

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