浇瓜之惠 — “To repay a wrong or unkindness with benevolence”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 浇瓜之惠?

比喻以德报怨，不因小事而引起纷争。

浇瓜之惠 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to repay a wrong or unkindness with benevolence”. Demonstrating a magnanimous spirit and avoiding escalation of minor disputes. Literally, “The favor of watering melons”.

Frequency

浇瓜之惠 Pronunciation and Pinyin

浇瓜之惠 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
浇	jiāo	9	pour, water, cast
瓜	guā	5	Melon or gourd
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
惠	huì	12	bestow favor or benefit

Example Sentence with 浇瓜之惠

面对邻居不友善的行为，他选择了浇瓜之惠，主动帮助对方解决了困难，最终化解了双方的隔阂。

Faced with his neighbor's unkind actions, he chose to practice 'watering melons for benevolence,' actively helping them resolve their difficulties, which ultimately dissolved the rift between them.

Origin and Story of 浇瓜之惠

Legend has it that in ancient times, the states of Liang and Chu both cultivated many melons along their shared border.

The people of Chu, envious of the Liang people's thriving melon fields, stealthily ruined all of Liang's melons one night.

Instead of seeking revenge, the people of Liang, led by their county magistrate Song, secretly went at night to water the Chu people's melons. Consequently, the Chu people's melons grew better day by day.

Upon hearing of this act of kindness, the King of Chu offered a substantial reward to Liang and expressed his desire for a lasting friendly relationship between the two states.