How do you pronounce 睚眦必报?

睚眦必报 is pronounced yá zì bì bào in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 睚眦必报 literally mean?

Literally, 睚眦必报 means “retaliate for a hostile stare; repay even the slightest grudge”. It is used to mean “to be extremely vindictive or unforgiving”.

Where does 睚眦必报 come from?

睚眦必报 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 睚眦必报?

睚眦：发怒时瞪眼睛，借指极小的仇恨。象瞪一下眼睛那样极小的怨仇也要报复。比喻心胸极狭窄。

睚眦必报 — “To be extremely vindictive or unforgiving”

睚眦必报 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be extremely vindictive or unforgiving”. Seeking revenge for even the slightest offense or hostile look. Literally, “retaliate for a hostile stare; repay even the slightest grudge”.

Frequency

睚眦必报 Pronunciation and Pinyin

睚yá
眦zì
必bì
报bào

睚眦必报 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
睚	yá	13	corner of the eye
眦	zì	11	corner of the eye
必	bì	5	must, bound to
报	bào	7	report, repay, or avenge

Example Sentence with 睚眦必报

他因为一点小事就对同事怀恨在心，真是个睚眦必报的人。

He holds a grudge against his colleague over a trivial matter; he is truly a vindictive person.

Origin and Story of 睚眦必报

Fan Ju, a minister from the State of Wei, once accompanied Xu Jia, a high-ranking official, on a diplomatic mission to the State of Qi. Xu Jia suspected Fan Ju of secretly colluding with Qi and reported this to Wei Qi, the Prime Minister of Wei, upon their return. Fan Ju was unjustly beaten and severely injured.

He then changed his name to Zhang Lu and fled to the State of Qin, where he eventually became the powerful Prime Minister.

Years later, Xu Jia was sent as an envoy to Qin. Fan Ju, disguised as a poor and lowly person, went to meet him. Seeing Fan Ju in such a desolate state, Xu Jia took pity on him and gave him a tattered silk robe.

However, later, when Xu Jia discovered that the "poor man" he had met was actually Zhang Lu, the Prime Minister of Qin, he was terrified and repeatedly prostrated himself in apology. Fan Ju then stated that regarding Wei Qi, he would "睚眦必报" (seek revenge for even the slightest offense), implying that Xu Jia was spared only because of his earlier act of kindness.

Idioms Related to 睚眦必报

Synonyms of 睚眦必报

xiǎo小dù肚jī鸡cháng肠narrow-minded and petty

Antonyms of 睚眦必报

dà大dù度bāo包róng容magnanimous and tolerant

More idioms starting with 睚

Questions about 睚眦必报

What does 睚眦必报 mean?: 睚眦必报 (yá zì bì bào) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be extremely vindictive or unforgiving”.
How do you pronounce 睚眦必报?: 睚眦必报 is pronounced yá zì bì bào in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 睚眦必报 literally mean?: Literally, 睚眦必报 means “retaliate for a hostile stare; repay even the slightest grudge”. It is used to mean “to be extremely vindictive or unforgiving”.
Where does 睚眦必报 come from?: 睚眦必报 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 睚眦必报?: 睚眦：发怒时瞪眼睛，借指极小的仇恨。象瞪一下眼睛那样极小的怨仇也要报复。比喻心胸极狭窄。

Copy the pinyin for 睚眦必报 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.