廉 lián upright
upright; honorable; honest
How to remember 廉: 广 broad + 兼 both = upright. The mayor lives in a simple house without broad halls, turns down both bribes, and the whole town calls him upright.
Component breakdown
廉 = 广 broad + 兼 both
- 广 broad
- 兼 both
The mayor lives in a simple house without broad halls, turns down both bribes, and the whole town calls him upright.
How it is used
- Two senses: cheap - 廉价 (liánjià) low-priced, 物美价廉 (wùměi-jiàlián) good and cheap; and honest - 廉洁 (liánjié) incorruptible, 清廉 (qīnglián) upright (of officials).
- 廉政 (liánzhèng) = clean government / anti-corruption - a key official term.