蛇雀之报 — “To repay kindness or show gratitude”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 蛇雀之报?

报：报答。指大蛇衔明珠、黄雀衔白环报恩

蛇雀之报 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to repay kindness or show gratitude”. Often in a miraculous or unexpected way, inspired by ancient tales of animals returning favors. Literally, “Repayment of the snake and sparrow”.

Frequency

蛇雀之报 Pronunciation and Pinyin

蛇雀之报 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
蛇	shé	11	snake, compliant, tactful
雀	què	11	sparrow or small bird
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
报	bào	7	report, repay, or avenge

Example Sentence with 蛇雀之报

他当年帮助了许多贫困学生，如今得到大家的广泛支持，真是蛇雀之报啊。

He helped many impoverished students back then, and now receives widespread support from everyone; truly, it's a case of unexpected gratitude repaid, like the snake and sparrow's return.

Origin and Story of 蛇雀之报

According to legend, during the Sui dynasty, a man named Sui Hou was traveling when he saw a large snake that was severely injured, broken in the middle. He applied medicine and saved the snake's life. The following year, the snake returned, carrying a luminous pearl to repay his kindness.

In another story, a young boy named Yang Bao found a yellow sparrow injured by an owl. Yang Bao took the sparrow home and nursed it back to health. Once recovered, the sparrow flew away. The next day, a boy dressed in yellow appeared, presenting four white jade rings as a token of gratitude for Yang Bao's kindness.