尾生抱柱 — “Weisheng hugged the pillar”
尾生抱柱 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rigidly adhere to a promise or agreement, often to a self-destructive or tragic extent; to be stubbornly faithful to one's word”. Literally, “Weisheng hugged the pillar”.
尾生抱柱 Pronunciation and Pinyin
尾生抱柱 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 尾生抱柱
Origin and Story of 尾生抱柱
The legend tells of Weisheng, a man renowned for his unwavering fidelity to his word. One day, he made an appointment with a woman he loved to meet under a bridge.
However, the woman did not arrive as scheduled. Suddenly, a heavy rain began to fall, and the river water rose, reaching Weisheng's waist. Yet, he remained steadfast, clinging to a pillar of the bridge, determined to honor his promise.
As the water continued to rise, he was eventually drowned, tragically demonstrating his absolute commitment to his word.
Idioms Related to 尾生抱柱
Synonyms of 尾生抱柱
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Open the tool →Questions about 尾生抱柱
What does 尾生抱柱 mean?
尾生抱柱 (wěi shēng bào zhù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rigidly adhere to a promise or agreement, often to a self-destructive or tragic extent; to be stubbornly faithful to one's word”.
How do you pronounce 尾生抱柱?
尾生抱柱 is pronounced wěi shēng bào zhù in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 尾生抱柱 literally mean?
Literally, 尾生抱柱 means “Weisheng hugged the pillar”. It is used to mean “to rigidly adhere to a promise or agreement, often to a self-destructive or tragic extent; to be stubbornly faithful to one's word”.
Where does 尾生抱柱 come from?
尾生抱柱 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 尾生抱柱?
相传尾生与女子约定在桥梁相会，久候女子不到，水涨，乃抱桥柱而死。典出《庄子·盗跖》。后用以比喻坚守信约。