无私

• Pinyin: wú sī
• Hanzi breakdown: 无 = negation (without); 私 = 禾 + 厶 (grain + selfish curve — personal, private interest)

Meaning

Selfless; free from selfish motives. Describes acting purely for others or the common good without consideration of personal gain.

Commonly used to praise parents, teachers, public servants, doctors, or volunteers who devote themselves to a cause without seeking reward. A highly positive moral quality in Chinese culture, often cited in political and educational discourse.

Examples

1. 她数十年如一日无私奉献，从未计较个人得失，赢得了无数人的敬佩。 For decades, she devoted herself selflessly day after day, never calculating personal gains or losses, and won the admiration of countless people.
2. 这支医疗队无私地放弃假期奔赴灾区，为当地居民提供紧急救治。 This medical team selflessly gave up their vacation and rushed to the disaster area to provide emergency treatment for local residents.
3. 真正的领导者需要具备无私的精神，将团队利益置于个人利益之上。 A true leader needs a selfless spirit, putting the team’s interests above personal interests.

Usage Guide

Context: education, social values, public service, family

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这位乡村教师扎根山区三十多年，无私奉献青春给孩子们，值得全社会学习和铭记。(This rural teacher has stayed in the mountains for more than thirty years, selflessly giving his youth to the children, and deserves respect and remembrance from all society.)
• 她在组织这次公益活动时展现出高度无私的态度，将所有筹款全部用于帮助困难家庭，自己分文未取，这种精神令所有参与者深受感动。(In organising this charitable event, she demonstrated a highly selfless attitude, directing all funds raised entirely towards helping families in need without keeping a single cent for herself — this spirit deeply moved all participants.)

Don't Say

• 无私 simply to mean 'generous' with money or gifts — use 慷慨; 无私 specifically denotes the absence of selfish motivation in one's actions, not merely generosity with material things

Origin & History

无 (without) + 私 (private/selfish interest) — without selfish motivations

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal