处变不惊 (chǔ) — to remain calm and composed in the face of crisis or sudden change

Definition

A chengyu praising a person who stays calm and composed when crisis or sudden change hits — a leadership-quality trait, not everyday composure. Note the chǔ here is the literary 'to face/handle', unrelated to the common noun 处 (place).

idiom
to remain calm and composed in the face of crisis or sudden change

Examples

  • 处变不惊
    Miàn duì tū rú qí lái de wēi jī, tā yī rán chǔ, lěng jìng chǔ lǐ.
    Facing the sudden crisis, he remained calm and handled it coolly.
  • 处变不惊
    Yí wèi yōu xiù de lǐng dǎo zhě bì xū zuò dào chǔ.
    An excellent leader must be able to stay composed in the face of change.
  • 处变不惊
    Tā zài tán pàn zhōng chǔ, yíng dé le duì fāng de zūn zhòng.
    He remained unflappable during the negotiations and earned the other side's respect.

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.