叩马而谏 — “To rein in a horse to remonstrate”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 叩马而谏?

勒住马头进行规劝。形容竭力进行劝谏。

叩马而谏 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rein in a horse to remonstrate”. To offer strong and earnest advice or admonition, often by stopping someone in their tracks. Literally, “pull a horse to remonstrate”.

Frequency

叩马而谏 Pronunciation and Pinyin

叩马而谏 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
叩	kòu	5	knock, kowtow, tap
马	mǎ	3	horse, big, large
而	ér	6	and, but, then
谏	jiàn	11	admonish a superior

Example Sentence with 叩马而谏

面对团队的错误方向，他毫不犹豫地叩马而谏，指出了问题的症结所在。

Confronted with the team's misguided direction, he unhesitatingly reined them in with earnest advice, pointing out the crux of the problem.

Origin and Story of 叩马而谏

Towards the end of the Shang Dynasty, Bo Yi and Shu Qi, sons of the ruler of Guzhu Kingdom, yielded the throne to each other after their father's death and eventually went to King Wen of Zhou.

After King Wen's death, King Wu was preparing to lead his army to attack the tyrannical King Zhou of Shang. Bo Yi and Shu Qi pulled King Wu's horse and remonstrated with him, saying, "To launch a war before burying your father, can this be called filial piety? For a subject to kill his lord, can this be called benevolence?"