弊帚千金 — “A worn-out broom worth a thousand pieces of gold”
弊帚千金 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to cherish one's own humble or worn-out possessions as if they were priceless; to highly value one's own things, however ordinary”. Literally, “A worn-out broom worth a thousand pieces of gold”.
弊帚千金 Pronunciation and Pinyin
弊帚千金 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 弊帚千金
Origin and Story of 弊帚千金
In the early Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu dispatched Grand Marshal Wu Han and General Zhengnan Cen Peng to attack Gongsun Shu, who had proclaimed himself emperor in Chengdu. The Han army advanced rapidly and, after a fierce battle with Gongsun Shu, finally captured Chengdu.
Wu Han then ordered a massacre of the city's inhabitants. Liu Xiu reprimanded him, stating that even an old broom in a common person's home is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and that plundering their possessions would mean losing the support of the people.
Idioms Related to 弊帚千金
Synonyms of 弊帚千金
More idioms starting with 弊
- bì弊duō多lì利shǎo少more disadvantages than advantages
- bì弊jué绝fēng风qīng清Malpractices ceased, atmosphere clear
- bì弊yī衣shū疏shí食live a hard and frugal life
- bì弊yī衣dān箪shí食a simple and frugal life
- bì弊yī衣shū蔬shí食living a simple and frugal life
- bì弊chē车léi羸mǎ马dilapidated cart, lean horse
- bì弊chē车nú驽mǎ马simple and frugal lifestyle
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Open the tool →Questions about 弊帚千金
What does 弊帚千金 mean?
弊帚千金 (bì zhǒu qiān jīn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to cherish one's own humble or worn-out possessions as if they were priceless; to highly value one's own things, however ordinary”.
How do you pronounce 弊帚千金?
弊帚千金 is pronounced bì zhǒu qiān jīn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 弊帚千金 literally mean?
Literally, 弊帚千金 means “a worn-out broom worth a thousand pieces of gold”. It is used to mean “to cherish one's own humble or worn-out possessions as if they were priceless; to highly value one's own things, however ordinary”.
Where does 弊帚千金 come from?
弊帚千金 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 弊帚千金?
对自家的破旧扫帚，也看成价值千金。比喻对己物的珍视。弊，一本作“敝”。