世故

• Pinyin: shì gu
• Hanzi breakdown: 世 = 三横 + 十 (generation, world); 故 = 古 + 攴 (old, reason, cause)

Meaning

Worldly-wise; shrewd in navigating social situations. Describing someone who understands social conventions and acts accordingly, often with a hint of calculating pragmatism.

Carries a dual connotation: on one hand it praises social acumen and the ability to handle interpersonal relationships smoothly; on the other it implies a degree of sycophancy or loss of naïveté. Common in phrases such as 人情世故 (the ways of the world) and 老于世故 (seasoned in worldly affairs). Contrast: 天真 (naive, innocent), 单纯 (simple-minded).

Examples

1. 经历了数年职场起伏，他逐渐变得世故，凡事都会先权衡利弊再开口表态，不再像初入职场时那般直率。 After several years of ups and downs in the workplace, he gradually became more worldly; he now weighs the pros and cons before speaking and is no longer as blunt as when he first started.
2. 她虽然年纪轻轻，处事却异常世故，懂得在不同场合展示不同的面貌，令同事们既佩服又略感警惕。 Though she’s young, she handles things with striking worldliness—she knows how to present different sides of herself in different settings, leaving colleagues both impressed and slightly wary.
3. 这部小说深刻描绘了一个原本纯真的青年在复杂社会环境中逐渐走向世故的心理历程，令读者感慨万千。 The novel vividly portrays the psychological journey of a once-innocent young man who gradually becomes worldly in a complex social environment, leaving readers deeply moved.

Usage Guide

Context: personality, social dynamics, workplace, literature

Tone: mixed

Do Say

• 多年的从政经历让他深谙人情世故，面对任何棘手局面都能从容周旋，既不得罪各方又能稳步推进自己的施政目标。(Years in politics had made him well-versed in the ways of the world; he could navigate any thorny situation with composure, offending no one while steadily advancing his own policy goals.)
• 我们不能因为追求处世圆滑而彻底抛弃原则——世故是一种生存技巧，但不应成为丧失良知的借口。(We must not abandon principles entirely in pursuit of social shrewdness — worldly wisdom is a survival skill, but it should never become an excuse for losing one's conscience.)

Don't Say

• 世故 to mean merely 'experienced' or 'mature' — use 成熟 or 老练 when the positive sense of maturity is intended; 世故 specifically implies social calculation and warrants care in contexts where neutral praise is desired

Origin & History

世 (world, society) + 故 (old, reason, affair) — lit. 'the old affairs of the world', i.e., the ways things have always been done in society

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal