DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

近朱者赤，近墨者黑

Mandarin · pinyin jìn zhū zhě chì , jìn mò zhě hēi

those who handle cinnabar are stained red; those who work with ink are stained black (idiom)
you are the product of your environment

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Characters in this entry

近: jìn · near, close; approach; intimate
朱: zhū · cinnabar, vermilion; surname
者: zhě · that which; he who; those who
赤: chì · red; bare; Kangxi radical 155
墨: mò · ink; writing
黑: hēi · black; dark; evil, sinister; Kangxi radical 203

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