白布落在染缸里，洗不清白布落在染缸里，洗不清白布落在染缸里，洗不清

white cloth dropped into the dye vat: can't be washed clean

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Rarely used now

Meaning: A person's reputation is stained and can't be cleared. Like 'the mud sticks'.
Wordplay: 清 (qīng) means literally clean and pure, and figuratively innocent or cleared of blame.

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Simplified: 白布落在染缸里，洗不清
Pinyin: báibù luò zài rǎngāng li, xǐ bù qīng
Pinyin (Taiwan): báibù luò zài rǎngāng lǐ, xǐ bù qīng
Bopomofo: ㄅㄞˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄖㄢˇ ㄍㄤㄌㄧˇ，ㄒㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄥ

Written with HSK 6 vocabulary, at CEFR level B2.

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