席地而坐 — “To sit directly on the ground”

席地而坐 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to sit directly on the ground”. Often informally or casually, without a chair or mat. Literally, “sit on the ground”.

Frequency

席地而坐 Pronunciation and Pinyin

席地而坐 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
席	xí	10	mat, seat, banquet
地	dì	6	earth, ground, land, place
而	ér	6	and, but, then
坐	zuò	7	sit, ride, or be located

Example Sentence with 席地而坐

夏日傍晚，人们喜欢在河边席地而坐，欣赏晚霞。

On summer evenings, people enjoy sitting on the ground by the river, admiring the sunset.

Origin and Story of 席地而坐

During the Tang Dynasty, Li Maozhen, a general who achieved great military successes, became increasingly arrogant due to his accomplishments. He wielded significant military power and often interfered with court affairs.

When Emperor Zhaozong ascended the throne, he attempted to suppress Li Maozhen but failed. Later, Li Maozhen launched several rebellions, all of which were unsuccessful, severely depleting his forces.

His soldiers, accustomed to a life of lax discipline, would often sit directly on the ground (egin{CJK*}{UTF8}{gbsn}席地而坐egin{CJK*}{UTF8}{gbsn}), drinking heartily and shouting boisterously, eventually leading to their decline.