曾子杀彘 — “Zengzi kills a pig”
曾子杀彘 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep one's word, especially for parents to set an example of honesty and integrity for their children; actions speak louder than words in child rearing”. Literally, “Zengzi kills a pig”.
曾子杀彘 Pronunciation and Pinyin
曾子杀彘 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 曾子杀彘
Origin and Story of 曾子杀彘
During the Spring and Autumn period, Zengzi's wife was going to the market, and her son cried and insisted on going with her. His wife told him to go back home and promised to kill a pig for him to eat when she returned.
When his wife came back from the market, Zengzi caught a pig and was about to kill it. His wife said that it was just a way to pacify the child and not to be taken seriously.
Zengzi replied, "Parents' words and actions directly influence a child's entire life. What is said must be done." He then proceeded to kill the pig.
Idioms Related to 曾子杀彘
Synonyms of 曾子杀彘
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Open the tool →Questions about 曾子杀彘
What does 曾子杀彘 mean?
曾子杀彘 (zēng zǐ shā zhì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to keep one's word, especially for parents to set an example of honesty and integrity for their children; actions speak louder than words in child rearing”.
How do you pronounce 曾子杀彘?
曾子杀彘 is pronounced zēng zǐ shā zhì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 曾子杀彘 literally mean?
Literally, 曾子杀彘 means “Zengzi kills a pig”. It is used to mean “to keep one's word, especially for parents to set an example of honesty and integrity for their children; actions speak louder than words in child rearing”.
Where does 曾子杀彘 come from?
曾子杀彘 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 曾子杀彘?
彘：猪。指教育孩子说实话，要以身作则