卧薪尝胆 — “Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall”
卧薪尝胆 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to steel oneself for future struggle by enduring self-imposed hardships and working diligently; to suffer patiently and diligently in order to achieve an objective, often to avenge a past humiliation or recover from a defeat”. Literally, “Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall”.
卧薪尝胆 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 卧wò
- 薪xīn
- 尝cháng
- 胆dǎn
卧薪尝胆 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 卧薪尝胆
Origin and Story of 卧薪尝胆
During the Spring and Autumn Period, a war broke out between the states of Wu and Yue. The state of Yue was defeated by Wu, and its king, Goujian, was captured by Fuchai, the King of Wu.
Later, King Fuchai released Goujian, allowing him to return to Kuaiji, the capital of Yue. Once back, Goujian hung a bitter gall bladder above his sleeping place. At night, he lay on brushwood, facing the gall bladder, and during meals, he would taste the bitter gall every day. He constantly reminded himself, "Have you forgotten the humiliation of the great defeat at Kuaiji?"
In this way, Goujian shared hardships with his people. After ten years of developing production and accumulating strength, followed by another ten years of rigorous military training, he finally defeated Fuchai and destroyed the state of Wu in 473 BC.
Idioms Related to 卧薪尝胆
Synonyms of 卧薪尝胆
Antonyms of 卧薪尝胆
More idioms starting with 卧
- wò卧bù不ān安xí席unable to sleep due to worries
- wò卧bù不ān安zhěn枕unable to sleep due to worries
- wò卧bīng冰kū哭zhú竹extreme filial piety
- wò卧bīng冰qiú求lǐ鲤Lie on ice for carp, extreme filial piety
- wò卧chuáng床bù不qǐ起confined to bed due to illness
- wò卧qí旗xī息gǔ鼓act covertly or cease activities
- wò卧tà榻zhī之xià下，，qǐ岂róng容tā他rén人hān酣shuì睡No rivals allowed in one's domain
- wò卧tà榻zhī之cè侧right next to one's bed
- wò卧tà榻zhī之cè侧，，qǐ岂róng容tā他rén人hān鼾shuì睡No trespassing in my territory
- wò卧tà榻zhī之cè侧，，qǐ岂róng容hān酣shuì睡No rival allowed in one's domain
- wò卧tà榻zhī之cè侧，，qǐ岂róng容hān鼾shuì睡No rivals allowed in one's domain
- wò卧tà榻zhī之páng旁，，qǐ岂róng容tā他rén人hān鼾shuì睡No snoring next to my bed
Questions about 卧薪尝胆
- What does 卧薪尝胆 mean?
- 卧薪尝胆 (wò xīn cháng dǎn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to steel oneself for future struggle by enduring self-imposed hardships and working diligently; to suffer patiently and diligently in order to achieve an objective, often to avenge a past humiliation or recover from a defeat”.
- How do you pronounce 卧薪尝胆?
- 卧薪尝胆 is pronounced wò xīn cháng dǎn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 卧薪尝胆 literally mean?
- Literally, 卧薪尝胆 means “Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall”. It is used to mean “to steel oneself for future struggle by enduring self-imposed hardships and working diligently; to suffer patiently and diligently in order to achieve an objective, often to avenge a past humiliation or recover from a defeat”.
- Where does 卧薪尝胆 come from?
- 卧薪尝胆 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 卧薪尝胆?
- 薪：柴草。睡觉睡在柴草上，吃饭睡觉都尝一尝苦胆。形容人刻苦自励，发奋图强。