千里鹅毛 — “A goose feather sent from a thousand li away”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 千里鹅毛?

比喻情深义重的微小礼品。

千里鹅毛 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a goose feather sent from a thousand li away”. It signifies a small gift that, despite its modest value, carries immense personal sentiment and deep affection, often due to the effort or distance involved. Literally, “a goose feather from a thousand li away”.

Frequency

千里鹅毛 Pronunciation and Pinyin

千里鹅毛 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
千	qiān	3	thousand, many
里	lǐ	7	inside, village, unit of length
鹅	é	12	large web-footed water bird
毛	máo	4	Hair, fur, or rough

Example Sentence with 千里鹅毛

这份礼物虽然不贵重，但包含了他满满的心意，真是千里鹅毛，礼轻情意重啊。

Although this gift is not expensive, it contains his full heart; it truly is a goose feather from a thousand li away, where the gift is light but the sentiment is deep.

Origin and Story of 千里鹅毛

There once was a local official who by chance acquired a rare flying bird, a swan. He appointed his trusted aide, Mian Bogao, to take it as a tribute to the emperor.

Mian Bogao carried the swan and, upon reaching the edge of Poyang Lake, thought he should give the swan a bath. He carefully placed the swan into the water. Unexpectedly, the swan flapped its wings and flew away, dropping only a single feather. Unable to catch it, Mian Bogao had no choice but to present this goose feather to the emperor.

Fearing punishment, he composed a jingle, which roughly meant: 'I came to offer tribute to you, having traveled over mountains and rivers, but the swan flew away at Poyang Lake. I am heartbroken. Today I report to the Son of Heaven, please forgive Mian Bogao. Besides, a goose feather sent from a thousand li away means the gift is light but the sentiment is deep.'

The emperor, after hearing this, pardoned Mian Bogao.