毛遂自荐 — “To volunteer one's services”
毛遂自荐 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to volunteer one's services”. To recommend oneself for a task or position; to offer one's talents boldly. Literally, “Mao Sui recommends himself”.
毛遂自荐 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 毛máo
- 遂suì
- 自zì
- 荐jiàn
毛遂自荐 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 毛遂自荐
Origin and Story of 毛遂自荐
During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Qin army achieved a great victory over the Zhao army near Changping. Qin's general, Bai Qi, pursued the fleeing forces and laid siege to Handan, the capital of Zhao. The situation in Zhao was extremely perilous.
Lord Pingyuan, Zhao Sheng, was instructed by King Zhao to seek military aid from the Chu state to lift the siege. Lord Pingyuan gathered his retainers, intending to select twenty individuals with both civil and military talents to accompany him. After much deliberation, he was still short one person.
At this moment, a retainer named Mao Sui stepped forward and recommended himself, saying, "Count me in!" Lord Pingyuan, seeing Mao Sui's persistent request, reluctantly agreed.
Upon their arrival in Chu, King Chu only granted an audience to Lord Pingyuan. The two sat in the palace, discussing the matter from morning until noon, but no resolution was reached.
Mao Sui then strode up the steps, loudly calling from a distance, "The matter of sending troops is either advantageous or disadvantageous, either disadvantageous or advantageous; it is simple and clear. Why is there no decision?" King Chu was greatly displeased and asked Lord Pingyuan, "Who is this person?" Lord Pingyuan replied, "His name is Mao Sui, and he is my retainer!" King Chu then shouted, "Get down at once! I am speaking with your master, what are you doing here?"
Mao Sui, far from retreating at King Chu's anger, advanced several more steps. With his hand on his sword, he declared, "Now, within ten paces, Your Majesty's life is in my hands!" Seeing Mao Sui's bravery, King Chu ceased his reprimand and listened. Mao Sui then provided a brilliant analysis of why aiding Zhao would be beneficial to Chu.
Mao Sui's compelling arguments deeply impressed King Chu, who immediately agreed to send troops. Within a few days, Chu, Wei, and other states dispatched their joint forces to assist Zhao, causing the Qin army to withdraw. After Lord Pingyuan returned to Zhao, he treated Mao Sui as an honored guest. He remarked with admiration, "As soon as Mr. Mao arrived in Chu, King Chu dared not underestimate Zhao."
Idioms Related to 毛遂自荐
Synonyms of 毛遂自荐
Antonyms of 毛遂自荐
More idioms starting with 毛
- máo毛jǔ举xì细shì事enumerate trivial matters to find fault
- máo毛jǔ举xì细wù务enumerate trivial details
- máo毛jǔ举xì细gù故nitpick minor faults
- máo毛jǔ举lǚ缕xī析enumerate and analyze meticulously
- máo毛fā发bù不shuǎng爽perfectly accurate
- máo毛fà发sī丝sù粟Extremely tiny and insignificant things
- máo毛fà发zhī之gōng功a very small contribution
- máo毛fà发dǎo倒shù竖hair stands on end from anger or fear
- máo毛fà发jǐn尽shù竖hair stands on end
- máo毛fà发sǒng悚rán然hair standing on end from terror
- máo毛fà发sǒng悚lì立hair standing on end from terror
- máo毛fà发sēn森shù竖hair bristling with fear or rage
Questions about 毛遂自荐
- What does 毛遂自荐 mean?
- 毛遂自荐 (máo suì zì jiàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to volunteer one's services”.
- How do you pronounce 毛遂自荐?
- 毛遂自荐 is pronounced máo suì zì jiàn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 毛遂自荐 literally mean?
- Literally, 毛遂自荐 means “Mao Sui recommends himself”. It is used to mean “to volunteer one's services”.
- Where does 毛遂自荐 come from?
- 毛遂自荐 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 毛遂自荐?
- 毛遂自我推荐。比喻自告奋勇，自己推荐自己担任某项工作。