是非

• Pinyin: shì fēi
• Hanzi breakdown: 是 = 日 + 正 (correct — the sun is in its upright place, i.e. noon); 非 = two opposing sides facing away from each other (symbolising contradiction, wrongness)

Meaning

Right and wrong; moral judgement; disputes; gossip. The distinction between what is correct and incorrect, or the quarrels and gossip that arise from interpersonal conflict.

Operates on two distinct levels. As an abstract concept: the moral distinction between right (是) and wrong (非), as in 明辨是非 (to distinguish right from wrong). As a social reality: petty disputes, quarrels, and gossip, as in 招惹是非 (to invite trouble/disputes), 是非之地 (a place fraught with trouble). Key collocations: 是非曲直 (rights and wrongs of a matter), 惹是生非 (to stir up trouble), 是非不分 (to confuse right with wrong). A morally loaded term with significant weight in Confucian ethical discourse.

Examples

1. 他多年来在官场中明哲保身，从不轻易卷入同僚之间的是非，因此在历次政治风波中始终得以独善其身。 For many years, he kept his head down in official circles and never easily got dragged into colleagues’ disputes and gossip, so he managed to stay out of trouble through every political upheaval.
2. 一个是非观念模糊的人很容易在错误的社会压力下做出有悖道德良知的选择，这是教育中价值观培养不可忽视的核心议题。 Someone with a blurry sense of right and wrong can easily make choices that violate moral conscience under misguided social pressure—making values education a core issue that can’t be ignored.
3. 两家邻居因一堵围墙的归属问题反目成仇，所引发的是非纠纷已持续多年，最终不得不诉诸法律途径解决。 Two neighboring families became bitter enemies over who owned a wall, and the resulting disputes have dragged on for years, ultimately forcing them to resolve it through legal channels.

Usage Guide

Context: morality, interpersonal relations, philosophy, legal, social commentary

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 一个社会若缺乏独立的司法体系和自由的新闻环境，公众便难以对重大公共事件的是非曲直做出客观判断，这对民主法治的健康运作构成根本威胁。(A society that lacks an independent judicial system and a free press environment makes it difficult for the public to make objective judgements about the rights and wrongs of major public events — a fundamental threat to the healthy functioning of democracy and the rule of law.)
• 教育专家强调，培养孩子明辨是非的能力不应局限于简单的规则灌输，而须通过引导其在真实情境中进行道德推理，形成内化的价值判断标准。(Education experts stress that developing children's ability to distinguish right from wrong should not be limited to simple rule indoctrination, but must involve guiding them to engage in moral reasoning within real-life situations so that they develop internalised standards of value judgement.)

Don't Say

• 是非 to mean simply 'a problem' or 'an issue' in a neutral sense — use 问题 (problem, issue) or 纠纷 (dispute); 是非 always carries a moral dimension (right vs. wrong) or implies interpersonal conflict and gossip, and sounds inappropriately dramatic in purely factual or technical contexts

Origin & History

是 (correct, yes, to be right — 日 sun + 正 upright) + 非 (wrong, not, to negate — depicts two opposing sides in conflict)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal