Words & Speech
金科玉條
금과옥조
jīn kē yù tiáo
Geum-gwa-ok-jo
金
쇠 금
科
과목 과
玉
구슬 옥
條
가지 조
Character by character
Meaning
Articles of gold and jade — a rule to be kept without exception.
Origin
From Yang Xiong of the Han dynasty, describing statutes worthy of being cut into gold and jade.
How it is used
Used both of a principle held firmly and of one held far too reverently.
Hanja金科玉條
Simplified金科玉条
Korean reading금과옥조
Pinyinjīn kē yù tiáo
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does Geum-gwa-ok-jo mean?
金科玉條 · Articles of gold and jade — a rule to be kept without exception.
Q. Where does Geum-gwa-ok-jo come from?
From Yang Xiong of the Han dynasty, describing statutes worthy of being cut into gold and jade.
Q. How is Geum-gwa-ok-jo used?
Used both of a principle held firmly and of one held far too reverently.
Idioms in the same group
言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.有備無患 Yu-bi-mu-hwanIf you prepare in advance, there is nothing to worry about.
The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.