被发左衽 — “Disheveled hair and left-lapel garments”
被发左衽 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to wear one's hair unbound and garments with the lapel folded to the left, traditionally associated with non-Han ethnic groups in ancient China; it signifies adopting or reverting to unconventional or foreign customs, often perceived as 'barbarian' by the Han people”. Literally, “disheveled hair and left-lapel garments”.
被发左衽 Pronunciation and Pinyin
被发左衽 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 被发左衽
Origin and Story of 被发左衽
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius led his disciples on a journey through various states, residing idly in Chen while awaiting official appointment.
Shortly after, King Fuchai of Wu, having vanquished the state of Yue, grew powerful. He seized the opportunity to lead his Wu soldiers, who were characterized by their unbound hair and left-lapel garments, to attack Chen.
The Duke of Chen secretly fled that very night. Despite the chaos, Confucius planned to proceed with a sacrificial ceremony, but his disciples forcibly pulled him into a carriage, fleeing Chen and heading towards Cai.
Idioms Related to 被发左衽
Synonyms of 被发左衽
More idioms starting with 被
- bèi被fā发yáng佯kuáng狂feign madness by disheveling hair
- bèi被fā发rù入shān山retreat to the mountains and live as a hermit
- bèi被fā发tú徒xiǎn跣disheveled hair and barefoot in extreme grief
- bèi被fā发yīng撄guān冠disheveled from frantic haste
- pī被fà发wén文shēn身uncivilized customs
- bèi被fā发yáng洋kuáng狂feign madness with disheveled hair
- pī被fà发yīng缨guàn冠rush to aid, disheveled
- bèi被fā发xiáng详kuáng狂feign madness with disheveled hair
- bèi被fā发xiǎn跣zú足disheveled hair and bare feet
- bèi被fā发yáng阳kuáng狂dishevel hair and feign madness
- bèi被fā发fù附yīng膺dishevel hair and beat chest in grief
- bèi被jiān坚zhí执ruì锐fully armed and ready for battle
Recommended tools
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →Questions about 被发左衽
What does 被发左衽 mean?
被发左衽 (pī fà zuǒ rèn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to wear one's hair unbound and garments with the lapel folded to the left, traditionally associated with non-Han ethnic groups in ancient China; it signifies adopting or reverting to unconventional or foreign customs, often perceived as 'barbarian' by the Han people”.
How do you pronounce 被发左衽?
被发左衽 is pronounced pī fà zuǒ rèn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 被发左衽 literally mean?
Literally, 被发左衽 means “disheveled hair and left-lapel garments”. It is used to mean “to wear one's hair unbound and garments with the lapel folded to the left, traditionally associated with non-Han ethnic groups in ancient China; it signifies adopting or reverting to unconventional or foreign customs, often perceived as 'barbarian' by the Han people”.
Where does 被发左衽 come from?
被发左衽 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 被发左衽?
被发：散发不作髻；左衽：瓣襟向左掩。指古代中原地区以外少数民族的装束。也指沦为夷狄。