Definition
城府 literally means 'city walls and storehouses', but as a noun it refers to a person's capacity for scheming, subtlety, or mental depth — specifically how guarded or calculating someone is. It's almost always used in the pattern 城府很深 (very shrewd/calculating) or 城府不深 (not very guarded). This is a culturally loaded term: having deep 城府 is often seen as a sign of sophistication in navigating social or political situations, but it can also imply untrustworthiness. You don't use it to describe simple cleverness; it carries a sense of hidden intentions.
n.
shrewdnesssubtlety (in one's character)depth of calculation or mental reserve
Examples
- 城府，。Tā zhège rén chéng fǔ hěn shēn, nǐ hěn nán cāi tòu tā zài xiǎng shénme.He is a very shrewd person — it's hard to guess what he's thinking.
- ，城府，。Suīrán tā niánjì bú dà, dàn chéng fǔ bù qiǎn, zuòshì hěn yǒu fèncùn.Although she's young, she's quite subtle and handles things with good judgment.
- ，城府。Zài guānchǎng shàng, méiyǒu chéng fǔ de rén hěn nán shēngcún.In official circles, people without shrewdness find it hard to survive.
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