以身作则
yǐ shēn zuò zé · HSK 7
to set an example
📏 以(take) + 身(self) + 作(as) + 则(rule) = take your own self as the standard
Literally take-self-make-rule: a leader makes their own conduct the measuring stick others follow. 则 means rule or standard, so you become the example by doing, not just telling.
以 — phonetic 㠯 (plow/tool) + 人 (person)
Originally a pictograph of a hand-held plow or tool (㠯), later combined with 人 (person) to suggest 'using' something. The core meaning 'to use' extended metaphorically to 'by means of', 'with', and 'because of'. In modern Chinese it functions mainly as a grammatical particle.
身 — pictograph of a pregnant body
身 is a pictograph originally depicting a person with a swollen belly, representing a pregnant woman in profile. Over time the meaning broadened from 'pregnancy' or 'torso' to refer to the body in general, and by extension oneself or one's person.
作 — person radical 亻 + 乍
作 combines the person radical 亻 with 乍, which originally depicted a sudden action or making something. The character means 'to do, make, or create,' with 亻 indicating human activity and 乍 supplying the sound. Over time it broadened to cover works, deeds, and acting as something.
则 — knife 刂 + shell/money 貝 (simplified to 贝)
则 originally showed a knife (刂) beside a tripod cauldron (鼎), later simplified to 贝. It depicted inscribing laws or rules onto bronze vessels with a knife. From this came the meanings 'rule, standard, regulation,' and by extension the conjunction 'then' indicating a logical consequence.