负隅顽抗 — “Lean on a corner/stronghold and stubbornly resist”
负隅顽抗 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a desperate stand, relying on a strategic position or existing advantages to resist stubbornly; to put up a last-ditch, stubborn resistance”. Literally, “lean on a corner/stronghold and stubbornly resist”.
负隅顽抗 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 负fù
- 隅yú
- 顽wán
- 抗kàng
负隅顽抗 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 负隅顽抗
Origin and Story of 负隅顽抗
The idiom "Fu Yu Wan Kang" (负隅顽抗) originates from "Mencius, Jinxin Part II." The term "fu" (负) means to rely on, and "yu" (隅) refers to a strategic, often dangerous, corner or position in a mountain. It is a metaphor for relying on certain conditions or a defensible position to stubbornly resist.
During the Warring States period, there was a famine in the state of Qi, and many people starved to death. Mencius's disciple, Chen Zhen, came to his teacher with a heavy heart, saying, "Teacher, have you heard? There's a famine in Qi, and people are dying. Everyone thinks you will once again persuade the King of Qi to open the granaries in Tang to relieve the people. I don't think we should do that again, should we?"
Mencius replied, "If I do that again, I would become Feng Fu." Mencius then proceeded to tell Chen Zhen the story of Feng Fu.
Feng Fu was a hunter from the state of Jin, renowned for his skill in fighting tigers. Later, he became a benevolent person and stopped hunting tigers; his name was almost forgotten. One year, a fierce tiger appeared in a certain mountain, frequently harming travelers. Several young hunters teamed up to hunt the tiger. They chased the tiger deep into the mountains, where it backed against a treacherous, winding mountain corner, facing the crowd. It glared with wide eyes and roared, and no one dared to step forward to capture it.
Just then, Feng Fu was passing by in a carriage. The hunters saw him and quickly went to greet him, asking for his help to hunt the tiger. Feng Fu got out of his carriage, rolled up his sleeves, and wrestled with the tiger. After a fierce struggle, he finally killed the tiger, eliminating a menace to the people. The young hunters thanked him happily, but some scholars ridiculed him for reverting to his old ways. The idiom "Fu Yu Wan Kang" describes the tiger's action of relying on its advantageous position in the mountain corner to resist stubbornly.
Idioms Related to 负隅顽抗
Antonyms of 负隅顽抗
More idioms starting with 负
- fù负yì义wàng忘ēn恩forget favors and betray kindness
- fù负chéng乘sī斯duó夺Incompetence in high office leads to loss
- fù负chéng乘zhì致kòu寇Incompetence invites disaster
- fù负rèn任méng蒙láo劳Shoulder heavy responsibilities and endure hardships
- fù负sú俗zhī之lèi累burden of social nonconformity
- fù负sú俗zhī之jī讥reproach for defying popular custom
- fù负zhài债lěi累lěi累deeply in debt
- fù负gù固bù不bīn宾rely on strongholds and defy authority
- fù负gù固bù不quān悛defiant and unrepentant, relying on advantage
- fù负gù固bù不fú服rely on strong defenses and not submit
- fù负tú图zhī之tuō托entrusted with weighty responsibility
- fù负tǔ土chéng成fén坟carry earth to build a grave
Questions about 负隅顽抗
- What does 负隅顽抗 mean?
- 负隅顽抗 (fù yú wán kàng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a desperate stand, relying on a strategic position or existing advantages to resist stubbornly; to put up a last-ditch, stubborn resistance”.
- How do you pronounce 负隅顽抗?
- 负隅顽抗 is pronounced fù yú wán kàng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 负隅顽抗 literally mean?
- Literally, 负隅顽抗 means “lean on a corner/stronghold and stubbornly resist”. It is used to mean “to make a desperate stand, relying on a strategic position or existing advantages to resist stubbornly; to put up a last-ditch, stubborn resistance”.
- Where does 负隅顽抗 come from?
- 负隅顽抗 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 负隅顽抗?
- 负：依靠；隅：山势弯曲险阻的地方。凭借险阻，顽固抵抗。指依仗某种条件，顽固进行抵抗。