牧豕听经 — “To study diligently despite difficult circumstances”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 牧豕听经?

一面放猪，一面听讲。比喻求学努力。

牧豕听经 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to study diligently despite difficult circumstances”. To be eager to learn and persevere in one's studies even while working. Literally, “Herding pigs and listening to lectures”.

Frequency

牧豕听经 Pronunciation and Pinyin

牧豕听经 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
牧	mù	8	to herd, govern, or manage
豕	shǐ	7	pig or wild boar
听	tīng	7	to listen, obey, or let
经	jīng	8	pass through, manage, classic

Example Sentence with 牧豕听经

他从小家境贫寒，却牧豕听经，刻苦钻研，最终成为了著名的学者。

He came from a poor family, yet he exemplified 'herding pigs and listening to lectures,' studying diligently and eventually becoming a renowned scholar.

Origin and Story of 牧豕听经

During the Han Dynasty, Cheng Gong became an orphan at a young age and made a living by herding pigs and sheep for others.

In his village, a teacher named Xu Zisheng lectured on the 'Spring and Autumn Annals' to hundreds of students. Eight-year-old Cheng Gong would secretly hide outside the classroom, listening intently to the teacher's explanations while tending his pigs. He was so captivated by the lessons that he found a way to ask the teacher to allow him into the classroom, offering to collect firewood for the teacher and all the students in exchange.