舐犊之爱 — “Deep parental love for one's children”
舐犊之爱 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Deep parental love for one's children”. The profound affection of a parent for their offspring. Literally, “The love of a mother cow licking its calf”.
舐犊之爱 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 舐shì
- 犊dú
- 之zhī
- 爱ài
舐犊之爱 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 舐犊之爱
Origin and Story of 舐犊之爱
During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao attacked Liu Bei and stationed his troops at Xiegu Pass, finding himself in a difficult dilemma. When his general Xiahou Dun inquired about the night's password, Cao Cao casually uttered 'chicken rib'.
Yang Xiu interpreted this as Cao Cao's intention to retreat and instructed the soldiers to pack their belongings. Cao Cao, using this as a pretext, had Yang Xiu executed.
Later, when Cao Cao encountered Yang Xiu's father, Yang Biao, looking gaunt and emaciated, he asked for the reason. Yang Biao replied that he harbored 'shì dú zhī ài' (the love of a mother cow licking its calf), expressing his profound sorrow and affection for his deceased son.
Idioms Related to 舐犊之爱
Synonyms of 舐犊之爱
Questions about 舐犊之爱
- What does 舐犊之爱 mean?
- 舐犊之爱 (shì dú zhī ài) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Deep parental love for one's children”.
- How do you pronounce 舐犊之爱?
- 舐犊之爱 is pronounced shì dú zhī ài in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 舐犊之爱 literally mean?
- Literally, 舐犊之爱 means “the love of a mother cow licking its calf”. It is used to mean “Deep parental love for one's children”.
- Where does 舐犊之爱 come from?
- 舐犊之爱 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 舐犊之爱?
- 舐：舔。犊：小牛。母牛舔小牛表现对它爱护。比喻对子女的疼爱。亦作“舐犊之念”、“舐犊之私”、“舐犊情深”。