中立

• Pinyin: zhōng lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 中 = centre/middle; 立 = 亠 + 丷 (person standing on ground)

Meaning

Neutral; to remain neutral. Not taking sides in a conflict or dispute.

Used in international relations (中立国 — neutral country), conflicts (保持中立 — remain neutral), and discussions. 中立立场 (neutral stance), 中立态度 (neutral attitude). Implies deliberate non-involvement rather than indifference.

Examples

1. 瑞士在两次世界大战期间都保持了中立地位。 Switzerland maintained neutrality during both World Wars.
2. 作为调解人，他必须保持绝对中立，不能偏袒任何一方。 As a mediator, he must remain absolutely neutral and not favor either side.
3. 公司在这场行业纠纷中采取中立态度，不发表任何评论。 The company took a neutral stance in this industry dispute and made no comment.

Usage Guide

Context: politics, diplomacy, conflict resolution

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在朋友之间的争执中，我选择保持中立。(In disputes between friends, I choose to remain neutral.)
• 联合国呼吁各方尊重该国的中立地位。(The United Nations calls on all parties to respect the country's neutral status.)

Don't Say

• 我中立这个问题 — grammatically incorrect; use 我对这个问题持中立态度 or 我在这个问题上保持中立

Origin & History

中 (middle/centre) + 立 (stand)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal