底线

• Pinyin: dǐ xiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 底 = 广 + 氐 (base/bottom); 线 = 纟 + 戋 (thread/line)

Meaning

Bottom line; baseline; moral or ethical limit that must not be crossed; minimum acceptable standard.

A versatile term used across moral, legal, economic, and strategic contexts. In ethics: the line between right and wrong one refuses to cross. In negotiation: the minimum one will accept. In government: 道德底线 (moral baseline) and 法律底线 (legal threshold). Also used in sports (baseline) and graphic design.

Examples

1. 任何谈判都有底线，一旦对方的要求突破了这条线，合作便无法继续。 Every negotiation has a bottom line; once the other side’s demands cross it, the partnership can’t continue.
2. 诚实是他为人处世的底线，哪怕面临再大的压力也绝不说谎。 Honesty is his absolute bottom line in how he conducts himself—no matter how much pressure he’s under, he never lies.
3. 监管机构明确划定了金融机构的风险底线，超出范围将触发强制整改程序。 Regulators have clearly set risk limits for financial institutions; going beyond them will trigger mandatory corrective actions.

Usage Guide

Context: ethics, law, negotiation, policy

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 坚守道德底线是每个从事公共服务的人员应尽的基本职责。(Holding firm to the moral baseline is a fundamental duty of everyone engaged in public service.)
• 谈判中，了解自己的底线并坚守它，是避免做出不必要让步的关键策略。(In negotiation, knowing and holding to your bottom line is the key strategy for avoiding unnecessary concessions.)

Don't Say

• 没有底线地做事 — use 毫无底线地做事 or 突破底线地行事; 没有底线 is a fixed phrase meaning 'shameless/without limits' and should not be used loosely as an adverbial

Origin & History

底 (bottom/base) + 线 (line) — the line at the very bottom

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal