债台高筑 — “To be heavily burdened with debts”
债台高筑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be heavily burdened with debts”. To be deeply mired in debt. Literally, “Debt platform built high”.
Frequency
债台高筑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 债zhài
- 台tái
- 高gāo
- 筑zhù
债台高筑 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 债台高筑
他因为生意失败，债台高筑，生活陷入困境
He fell deeply into debt because of his business failure, and his life was plunged into difficulties.
Origin and Story of 债台高筑
In the late Warring States period, King Nan of Zhou, trusting King Xiaolie of Chu, used the emperor's name to summon the six states to attack Qin. He ordered the Duke of Western Zhou to assemble 6000 soldiers.
However, lacking military funds, they had to borrow money from wealthy merchants and landlords.
The six states did not heed his call at all, and the money he borrowed was quickly spent.
Creditors came one after another to demand repayment, leaving King Nan with no choice but to hide himself on a high platform within the palace.
Idioms Related to 债台高筑
Synonyms of 债台高筑
More idioms starting with 债
Questions about 债台高筑
- What does 债台高筑 mean?
- 债台高筑 (zhài tái gāo zhù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be heavily burdened with debts”.
- How do you pronounce 债台高筑?
- 债台高筑 is pronounced zhài tái gāo zhù in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 债台高筑 literally mean?
- Literally, 债台高筑 means “Debt platform built high”. It is used to mean “to be heavily burdened with debts”.
- Where does 债台高筑 come from?
- 债台高筑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 债台高筑?
- 形容欠债很多。