品行

• Pinyin: pǐn xíng
• Hanzi breakdown: 品 = 三个口 (three mouths — quality/character); 行 = 彳 + 亍 (left step + right step — to walk/conduct oneself)

Meaning

Conduct; moral behaviour; observable patterns of ethical behaviour over time. Refers to how a person actually behaves rather than their inward character alone.

品行 focuses on the behavioural manifestation of character, often in formal or institutional settings such as school records, employment assessments, and legal proceedings. 品行端正 = upright conduct. Slightly more formal than 品德 and more behaviour-focused.

Examples

1. 该候选人虽然学历出众，但其过往的品行记录令委员会成员顾虑重重，最终未能通过资格审查。 Although the candidate has an impressive academic record, their past conduct raised serious concerns among committee members, and they ultimately failed the qualification review.
2. 教师的品行对学生有着潜移默化的深远影响，一言一行都可能成为塑造学生人格的重要参照。 A teacher’s conduct has a deep, subtle influence on students, and every word and action can become an important reference in shaping their character.
3. 公司在招聘时不仅考量应聘者的专业技能，同样重视其品行操守，以确保团队文化的健康发展。 When hiring, companies evaluate not only applicants’ professional skills but also their ethics and conduct, to ensure healthy development of team culture.

Usage Guide

Context: education, employment, legal, character assessment

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 法院在量刑时综合考量了被告人的犯罪情节、悔罪态度以及平日品行，最终作出了低于检察机关建议刑期的判决。(In determining the sentence the court took comprehensive account of the defendant's criminal circumstances, attitude of remorse, and everyday conduct, ultimately delivering a sentence below the term recommended by the prosecution.)
• 这所学校对品行端正且家庭经济困难的学生设立了专项奖学金，旨在让品学兼优却因经济原因面临辍学风险的学子得以顺利完成学业。(The school has established a dedicated scholarship for students of upright conduct who face financial hardship, aiming to enable those who excel in both character and academics but risk dropping out for economic reasons to complete their studies smoothly.)

Don't Say

• 品行 refers to observed moral conduct over time — do not use it for a single action; for a specific deed use 行为 or 举止

Origin & History

品 (character, quality) + 行 (conduct, to act — depicts a crossroads — one's way of moving through the world)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal