漂母进饭 — “To give generously and selflessly”

漂母进饭 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to give generously and selflessly”. Without expecting anything in return, and often referring to an act of kindness shown to someone in need who later becomes successful. Literally, “Washerwoman offering food”.

Frequency

漂母进饭 Pronunciation and Pinyin

漂母进饭 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
漂	piāo	14	float, bleach, rinse, beautiful
母	mǔ	5	mother, female, origin, nut
进	jìn	7	advance, enter, eat, or receive
饭	fàn	7	cooked rice or meal

Example Sentence with 漂母进饭

他对贫困学生伸出援手，正是漂母进饭的精神，不求回报，只为助人。

He extended a helping hand to impoverished students, embodying the spirit of 'washerwoman offering food', expecting no return, only to help others.

Origin and Story of 漂母进饭

During the late Qin Dynasty, Han Xin, an orphan from Huaiyin, made a living by fishing by the Huai River. He often failed to catch fish and would go hungry.

An old washerwoman, who was washing silk floss nearby, took pity on him and often shared half of her meal with him.

Later, Han Xin became the Marquis of Huaiyin. He specifically sought out the old washerwoman from those days and offered her a thousand gold pieces as a reward, but she refused to accept his gift.