光明磊落 (guāng míng lěi luò)

Character breakdown

• 光 (guāng) · 6 strokes

  Pictograph of fire on top of a person.

• 明 (Míng) · 8 strokes

  The character was originally depicted moonlight (月) shining through a window (囧). The 囧 component was later reanalyzed as 日 (sun).

• 磊 (lěi) · 15 strokes

  Many rocks 石 piled up

• 落 (là) · 12 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 洛 represents the sound.

Usage

做人要光明磊落，不要背后搞小动作。

One should be open and aboveboard, not scheming behind others' backs.

Zuò rén yào guāng míng lěi luò, bú yào bèi hòu gǎo xiǎo dòng zuò.