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高枕无忧
高枕无忧
高枕无忧
高枕无忧
高枕无忧
高枕无忧
高枕无忧
高枕无忧

高枕无忧 — “To rest easy and feel secure”

高枕无忧 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rest easy and feel secure”. Often implying a false sense of security or a lack of vigilance and caution. Literally, “high pillow, no worries”.

Frequency

高枕无忧 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 高gāo
  • 枕zhěn
  • 无wú
  • 忧yōu

高枕无忧 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
高
gāo10high, tall, elevated
枕
zhěn8pillow or rest head on
无
wú4without, not having
忧
yōu7to worry or be anxious

Example Sentence with 高枕无忧

虽然公司目前的业绩非常出色,但我们不能高枕无忧,必须时刻关注市场变化,才能保持竞争力。
Although the company's current performance is excellent, we cannot afford to rest easy; we must constantly monitor market changes to maintain our competitiveness.

Origin and Story of 高枕无忧

During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a man named Lord Mengchang in the State of Qi. He hosted three thousand retainers at his residence, categorizing them into three ranks: upper, middle, and lower. Upper-rank retainers enjoyed lavish meals and carriages, middle-rank retainers received fish and vegetables, while lower-rank retainers only had vegetables.

One day, Lord Mengchang's friend introduced a man named Feng Xuan. When asked about Feng Xuan's special skills, the friend replied, "He doesn't seem to have any particular specialty!" Hearing this, Lord Mengchang largely ignored Feng Xuan. The servants, observing their master's indifference, treated Feng Xuan as a lower-rank retainer.

Feng Xuan was deeply unhappy and complained daily, threatening to leave. When Lord Mengchang learned of this, he promoted Feng Xuan to an upper-rank retainer and sent provisions and gifts to Feng Xuan's mother. Feng Xuan resolved to repay Lord Mengchang's kindness.

On one occasion, Lord Mengchang sent Feng Xuan to Xue to collect debts. Feng Xuan, pretending it was Lord Mengchang's order, told all debtors that they didn't need to repay the money, thus earning Lord Mengchang a reputation for benevolence.

Later, when Lord Mengchang was dismissed from his prime minister position by the King of Qi and returned to live in Xue, the people of Xue welcomed him with great enthusiasm.

Not long after, Feng Xuan told Lord Mengchang, "A rabbit needs three burrows to hide in to avoid being hunted. You currently live in Xue, which is like a rabbit having only one burrow—it's very dangerous! If the King of Qi becomes displeased and wants to harm you, you won't have anywhere else to hide! Therefore, you cannot yet raise your pillow high and sleep peacefully." Lord Mengchang immediately asked, "What should I do then?" Feng Xuan replied, "Leave this matter to me! I will ensure you have three safe burrows to hide in, just like a cunning rabbit!"

So, Feng Xuan went to see King Hui of Liang. He praised Lord Mengchang's capabilities, and King Hui immediately sent envoys with a thousand catties of gold and a hundred carriages to invite Lord Mengchang to become the prime minister of Liang.

When this news reached Qi, the King of Qi immediately became alarmed and hastily invited Lord Mengchang back to Qi with grand ceremonies to resume his position as prime minister.

At the same time, Feng Xuan advised Lord Mengchang to build an ancestral temple in Xue to further secure the area. Once the ancestral temple in Xue was completed, Feng Xuan told Lord Mengchang, "Now all three burrows have been dug. From today onwards, you can raise your pillow high and sleep peacefully!"

Later, people used "Gao Zhen Wu You" to describe being thoroughly prepared for anything, feeling completely secure and having nothing to fear.

Idioms Related to 高枕无忧

Synonyms of 高枕无忧

  • wú无yōu忧wú无lǜ虑Carefree and without worries
  • má麻bì痹dà大yì意careless and negligent

Antonyms of 高枕无忧

  • zhěn枕gē戈dài待dàn旦Vigilant and ready for battle

More idioms starting with 高

  • gāo高xià下rèn任xīn心know how to manage matters skillfully
  • gāo高xià下qí其shǒu手collude in wrongdoing
  • gāo高xià下zài在kǒu口make arbitrary judgments
  • gāo高xià下zài在xīn心To have a well-thought-out plan
  • gāo高xià下zài在shǒu手manipulate outcomes for illicit gains
  • gāo高bù不còu凑dī低bù不jiù就too demanding, unable to find a match
  • gāo高bù不còu凑,,dī低bù不jiù就unable to achieve high, unwilling to settle low
  • gāo高bù不kě可pān攀too high to reach or approach
  • gāo高bù不kě可dēng登too high to reach
  • gāo高bù不chéng成dī低bù不jiù就too ambitious for low, not qualified for high
  • gāo高bù不chéng成,,dī低bù不jiù就Too choosy for high, too proud for low
  • gāo高bù不còu辏dī低bù不jiù就too picky to find anything suitable

Questions about 高枕无忧

What does 高枕无忧 mean?
高枕无忧 (gāo zhěn wú yōu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rest easy and feel secure”.
How do you pronounce 高枕无忧?
高枕无忧 is pronounced gāo zhěn wú yōu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 高枕无忧 literally mean?
Literally, 高枕无忧 means “high pillow, no worries”. It is used to mean “to rest easy and feel secure”.
Where does 高枕无忧 come from?
高枕无忧 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 高枕无忧?
垫高枕头睡觉,无忧无虑。比喻思想麻痹,丧失警惕。
Copy the pinyin for 高枕无忧 →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.

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