粵

出ceot1淤jyu1泥nai4而ji4不bat1染jim5

ceot1 jyu1 nai4 ji4 bat1 jim5chū yū ní ér bù rǎn

English

  1. lit. to grow out of the mud unsullied (idiom)
  2. fig. to be principled and incorruptible
  3. an expression describing person retaining noble ideals and upstanding character despite growing up in a corrupt environment, literally "out of filth yet untainted"

粵語 — Cantonese

  1. 出自北宋周敦頤嘅《愛蓮説》，講蓮花係池塘嘅淤泥入面生出嚟，但係都無受污染；比喻人係黑暗、惡劣嘅環境入面生活同成長，但係無沾染到腐敗嘅風氣，保持高潔嘅人格

Sources: cc-cedict, rime-cantonese, words.hk

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