鹿死不择音 — “A dying deer does not choose its shade”
鹿死不择音 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “in a desperate or critical situation, one cannot afford to be selective or particular about the conditions or choices available; it means to seek any available refuge without regard for its quality or suitability”. Literally, “A dying deer does not choose its shade”.
鹿死不择音 Pronunciation and Pinyin
鹿死不择音 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 鹿死不择音
Origin and Story of 鹿死不择音
During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Ling of Jin wished to establish himself as a hegemon. He convened a meeting of feudal lords in Hu, but he was unwilling to meet with Duke Mu of Zheng, who represented a smaller state.
To ease the tensions, Zija, a high official from Zheng, wrote a letter to Zhao Dun, a high official of Jin. In the letter, Zija expressed that states should treat each other with courtesy and earn respect through virtue. Otherwise, a situation like "a dying deer does not choose its shade" would arise, implying there was no need to take unnecessary risks or resort to warfare.
Idioms Related to 鹿死不择音
Synonyms of 鹿死不择音
More idioms starting with 鹿
- lù鹿fú伏hè鹤xíng行be extremely cautious and vigilant
- lù鹿sǐ死shéi谁shǒu手who will win the ultimate prize
- lù鹿pí皮cāng苍bì璧misplaced priorities
- lù鹿qiú裘bù不wán完live a simple and frugal life
- lù鹿zǒu走sū苏tái台ruin and desolation of a fallen kingdom
- lù鹿chē车gòng共wǎn挽devoted couple sharing hardships
- lù鹿xùn驯shǐ豕bào暴cunning and unpredictable, sometimes meek, sometimes violent
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Open the tool →Questions about 鹿死不择音
What does 鹿死不择音 mean?
鹿死不择音 (lù sǐ bù zé yīn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “in a desperate or critical situation, one cannot afford to be selective or particular about the conditions or choices available; it means to seek any available refuge without regard for its quality or suitability”.
How do you pronounce 鹿死不择音?
鹿死不择音 is pronounced lù sǐ bù zé yīn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 鹿死不择音 literally mean?
Literally, 鹿死不择音 means “a dying deer does not choose its shade”. It is used to mean “in a desperate or critical situation, one cannot afford to be selective or particular about the conditions or choices available; it means to seek any available refuge without regard for its quality or suitability”.
Where does 鹿死不择音 come from?
鹿死不择音 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 鹿死不择音?
指庇荫的地方。音，通“荫”。比喻只求安身，不择处所。亦比喻情况危急，无法慎重考虑。