剪须和药 — “Cut beard and mix with medicine”
剪须和药 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show extreme care and concern for subordinates, often implying personal sacrifice or extraordinary effort from a superior; an act of profound compassion and dedication from a superior towards a subordinate”. Literally, “Cut beard and mix with medicine”.
剪须和药 Pronunciation and Pinyin
剪须和药 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 剪须和药
Origin and Story of 剪须和药
During the early Tang Dynasty, Li Ji ( 李勣) served the imperial court with unwavering loyalty. The emperor held him in high regard, considering him a trustworthy official capable of handling great responsibilities.
One day, Li Ji fell gravely ill. The imperial physician stated that a special medicinal ingredient, human beard, was required for his recovery.
Upon learning this, the emperor, without hesitation, immediately cut off his own beard and personally mixed it into Li Ji's medicine.
Soon after, Li Ji recovered from his illness. When he returned to the court to express his profound gratitude, he kowtowed so deeply that his forehead bled.
The emperor, seeing his devotion, simply said, 'This is nothing; I was merely considering the stability and prosperity of the empire.'
Idioms Related to 剪须和药
More idioms starting with 剪
- jiǎn剪fā发pī披zī缁renounce secular life and become a monk
- jiǎn剪fà发pī披hè褐become a Buddhist monk or nun
- jiǎn剪fà发dù杜mén门withdraw from society and live reclusively
- jiǎn剪fā发bèi被hè褐renounce secular life and become a monk
- jiǎn剪è恶chú除jiān奸eliminate evil and eradicate treachery
- jiǎn剪zhī枝jié竭liú流deal with symptoms, not root cause
- jiǎn剪zhú烛xī西chuāng窗joyful reunion and intimate conversation
- jiǎn剪cǎo草chú除gēn根eradicate evil at its source
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Open the tool →Questions about 剪须和药
What does 剪须和药 mean?
剪须和药 (jiǎn xū huò yào) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show extreme care and concern for subordinates, often implying personal sacrifice or extraordinary effort from a superior; an act of profound compassion and dedication from a superior towards a subordinate”.
How do you pronounce 剪须和药?
剪须和药 is pronounced jiǎn xū huò yào in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 剪须和药 literally mean?
Literally, 剪须和药 means “Cut beard and mix with medicine”. It is used to mean “to show extreme care and concern for subordinates, often implying personal sacrifice or extraordinary effort from a superior; an act of profound compassion and dedication from a superior towards a subordinate”.
Where does 剪须和药 come from?
剪须和药 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 剪须和药?
须：胡须；和：混和，拌。剪掉胡须拌药。比喻上级体恤下属