奴颜婢膝 — “To fawn upon someone in a servile and abject manner”
奴颜婢膝 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to fawn upon someone in a servile and abject manner”. To be slavishly subservient and obsequious; to show obsequious deference. Literally, “Servile face and maid's knees”.
奴颜婢膝 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 奴nú
- 颜yán
- 婢bì
- 膝xī
奴颜婢膝 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 奴颜婢膝
Origin and Story of 奴颜婢膝
During the Southern Song Dynasty, the Southern Song forces were engaged in battles with invading Mongol troops. Due to insufficient military strength, the Song Dynasty consistently suffered defeats, and the nation faced the crisis of its demise.
However, the incompetent Song emperor continued to indulge in pleasures, while Chancellor Jia Sidao concealed intelligence about the enemy.
Minister Chen Zhongwei, realizing the gravity of the situation, told the emperor: 'During Emperor Gaozong's reign, both the monarch and his officials were extremely muddle-headed. When enemies attacked, some people would kneel and surrender to them, smiling obsequiously like slaves and begging for mercy like maidservants. We should learn from this lesson!'
Yet, the foolish Song emperor paid no heed, and later, the Southern Song Dynasty fell.
Idioms Related to 奴颜婢膝
Synonyms of 奴颜婢膝
Antonyms of 奴颜婢膝
More idioms starting with 奴
Questions about 奴颜婢膝
- What does 奴颜婢膝 mean?
- 奴颜婢膝 (nú yán bì xī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to fawn upon someone in a servile and abject manner”.
- How do you pronounce 奴颜婢膝?
- 奴颜婢膝 is pronounced nú yán bì xī in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 奴颜婢膝 literally mean?
- Literally, 奴颜婢膝 means “Servile face and maid's knees”. It is used to mean “to fawn upon someone in a servile and abject manner”.
- Where does 奴颜婢膝 come from?
- 奴颜婢膝 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 奴颜婢膝?
- 奴颜：奴才的脸，满面谄媚相；婢膝：侍女的膝，常常下跪。指表情和动作奴才相十足。形容对人拍马讨好卑鄙无耻的样子。