Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 清官难断家务事
Traditional: 清官難斷家務事
Pinyin: qīng guān nán duàn jiā wù shì
Literal translation
Even an upright official finds family affairs hard to judge.
Natural English meaning
Private family disputes are often too layered for an outsider to settle simply.
Closest English equivalent
It is hard to judge another family’s quarrel.
There is no single fixed English proverb with the same official-and-household image; the closest rendering states the lesson plainly.
When to use it
Use it when a domestic disagreement has complex history that an outsider cannot easily evaluate.
When not to use it
Complexity is not a reason to ignore danger, coercion, or conduct that requires professional intervention.
Example sentence
双方都有多年的委屈，真是清官难断家务事。
Both sides carry years of grievance, so the family dispute is difficult for an outsider to untangle.
Origin and cultural context
A traditional folk saying built around the respected figure of an impartial magistrate.
Classification: proverb. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
