士可杀不可辱
shì​kě​shā​bù​kě​rǔ

death before dishonor

  1. 士 shì noun
    scholar
    (bound form) scholar; intellectual; member of the educated class in ancient China, as in the phrase 士农工商 shì​nóng​gōng​shāng
  2. 可 kě auxiliary
    can
    can; may; to be able to; to be permitted to
  3. 杀 殺 shā verb
    to kill
    to kill, slay, or murder; to slaughter animals
  4. 不 bù adverb
    not
    Negative adverb used before verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs to indicate negation; also used as a bound-form prefix to form terms with opposite meanings
  5. 可 kě auxiliary
    can
    can; may; to be able to; to be permitted to
  6. 辱 rǔ verbnoun
    to insult
    to insult; to bring shame to; to bring disgrace upon