泽及枯骨 — “Favor extends to dry bones”
泽及枯骨 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to extend great benevolence or favors even to the deceased or long-forgotten; to show profound kindness to all, including those who cannot reciprocate”. Literally, “favor extends to dry bones”.
泽及枯骨 Pronunciation and Pinyin
泽及枯骨 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 泽及枯骨
Origin and Story of 泽及枯骨
King Wen of Zhou was on an inspection tour in the wilderness when he saw some dry bones by the roadside. He ordered his subordinates to bury them.
His attendants were puzzled, remarking that the descendants of whoever owned the bones should be responsible for their burial.
King Wen replied, "One who possesses the world is the master of the world; one who possesses a state is the master of that state. I am certainly their master."
When the feudal lords across the land heard that King Wen had extended his benevolence even to dry bones, they all pledged their allegiance to him.
Idioms Related to 泽及枯骨
Synonyms of 泽及枯骨
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Open the tool →Questions about 泽及枯骨
What does 泽及枯骨 mean?
泽及枯骨 (zé jí kū gǔ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to extend great benevolence or favors even to the deceased or long-forgotten; to show profound kindness to all, including those who cannot reciprocate”.
How do you pronounce 泽及枯骨?
泽及枯骨 is pronounced zé jí kū gǔ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 泽及枯骨 literally mean?
Literally, 泽及枯骨 means “favor extends to dry bones”. It is used to mean “to extend great benevolence or favors even to the deceased or long-forgotten; to show profound kindness to all, including those who cannot reciprocate”.
Where does 泽及枯骨 come from?
泽及枯骨 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 泽及枯骨?
泽：恩泽；枯骨：死去已久的人。恩泽及于死者。形容给人恩惠极大。