弊帚自珍 — “To cherish one's own worn-out broom as if it were precious”

弊帚自珍 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to cherish one's own worn-out broom as if it were precious”. To value one's own possessions highly, even if others deem them worthless or ordinary. Literally, “Cherish one's own worn-out broom”.

Frequency

弊帚自珍 Pronunciation and Pinyin

弊帚自珍 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
弊	bì	14	malpractice or disadvantage
帚	zhǒu	8	a broom for sweeping
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
珍	zhēn	9	precious treasure or cherish

Example Sentence with 弊帚自珍

虽然这本旧书在别人看来平平无奇，但他却弊帚自珍，因为那是他父亲留给他的唯一纪念。

Although this old book seems ordinary to others, he cherishes it deeply, for it is the only memento his father left him.

Origin and Story of 弊帚自珍

During the early Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, dispatched Grand Marshal Wu Han and General Cen Peng to subjugate Gongsun Shu, who had declared himself emperor in Chengdu. The Han forces advanced swiftly, and after a fierce battle, successfully captured the city.

However, Wu Han subsequently ordered a general massacre and looting of Chengdu. Upon hearing this, Liu Xiu severely rebuked him, stating, 'Even a broken broom in a common household is cherished as a valuable possession. By plundering the people's property, you will lose their hearts and minds.'

This admonition highlighted the importance of respecting even the humblest possessions of the populace to maintain their support.