阶下囚 — “A prisoner or captive”
阶下囚 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a prisoner or captive”. Especially one who has been defeated and is in custody or a helpless state. Literally, “Prisoner under the steps”.
阶下囚 Pronunciation and Pinyin
阶下囚 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 阶下囚
Origin and Story of 阶下囚
The idiom 'Jie Xia Qiu' (阶下囚) originates from Chapter 19 of 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. After Lu Bu was defeated by Cao Cao and captured, he was tied up at Baomen Tower.
Seeing Liu Bei, who was then an honored guest of Cao Cao, Lu Bu, hoping for a chance to save his life, appealed to Liu Bei, saying, 'You are an honored guest (座上客), while I am a prisoner under the steps (阶下囚). Why don't you say a word to intercede for me?'
Originally, 'Jie Xia Qiu' referred to a prisoner confined at the foot of the court steps, awaiting trial. The idiom now describes a person who has been utterly defeated, disgraced, and is in a helpless or captive state, often becoming the target of criticism.
Idioms Related to 阶下囚
Antonyms of 阶下囚
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Open the tool →Questions about 阶下囚
What does 阶下囚 mean?
阶下囚 (jiē xià qiú) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a prisoner or captive”.
How do you pronounce 阶下囚?
阶下囚 is pronounced jiē xià qiú in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 阶下囚 literally mean?
Literally, 阶下囚 means “Prisoner under the steps”. It is used to mean “a prisoner or captive”.
Where does 阶下囚 come from?
阶下囚 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 阶下囚?
指在公堂台阶下受审的犯人；泛指在押的囚犯或俘虏。