How do you pronounce 疲于奔命?

疲于奔命 is pronounced pí yú bēn mìng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 疲于奔命 literally mean?

Literally, 疲于奔命 means “Exhausted from rushing around to fulfill duties”. It is used to mean “Exhausted from constantly rushing about to deal with numerous tasks or demands; utterly worn out from being on the go”.

Where does 疲于奔命 come from?

疲于奔命 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 疲于奔命?

原指因受命奔走而搞得很累。后也指忙于奔走应付，弄得非常疲乏。

疲于奔命 — “Exhausted from rushing around to fulfill duties”

疲于奔命 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Exhausted from constantly rushing about to deal with numerous tasks or demands; utterly worn out from being on the go”. Literally, “Exhausted from rushing around to fulfill duties”.

Frequency

疲于奔命 Pronunciation and Pinyin

疲pí
于yú
奔bēn
命mìng

疲于奔命 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
疲	pí	10	tired, exhausted, fatigued
于	yú	3	at, in, on, to, from
奔	bēn	8	run quickly or rush
命	mìng	8	life, fate, command

Example Sentence with 疲于奔命

他每天都要接送孩子、处理家务、还要兼顾自己的工作，真是疲于奔命

Every day, he has to pick up and drop off the children, handle household chores, and also manage his own work; he is truly exhausted from constantly rushing around.

Origin and Story of 疲于奔命

During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a minister named Wu Chen (申公巫臣子灵) in the State of Chu. He was infatuated with Xia Ji, a woman of legendary beauty from the Zheng royal family who had married into the State of Chen.

Wu Chen, determined to have her, cunningly sabotaged attempts by King Zhuang of Chu and later by Zi Fan (another Chu official) to marry Xia Ji. However, he also could not marry her at that time.

Five years later, Wu Chen finally managed to trick Xia Ji into returning to the State of Zheng, and from there, he eloped with her to the State of Jin.

This act provoked the strong opposition of Chu's powerful ministers, Zi Fan and Zi Zhong. Enraged by their disapproval and threats, Wu Chen declared defiantly that he would make Zi Fan and Zi Zhong so weary from constant rushing and fighting that they would eventually die (疲于奔命而死), implying he would keep them busy with endless troubles and military campaigns.

This historical episode is the origin of the idiom '疲于奔命'.

Idioms Related to 疲于奔命

Synonyms of 疲于奔命

Antonyms of 疲于奔命

yōu优yóu游zì自zai在leisurely and carefree

More idioms starting with 疲

Questions about 疲于奔命

What does 疲于奔命 mean?: 疲于奔命 (pí yú bēn mìng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Exhausted from constantly rushing about to deal with numerous tasks or demands; utterly worn out from being on the go”.
How do you pronounce 疲于奔命?: 疲于奔命 is pronounced pí yú bēn mìng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 疲于奔命 literally mean?: Literally, 疲于奔命 means “Exhausted from rushing around to fulfill duties”. It is used to mean “Exhausted from constantly rushing about to deal with numerous tasks or demands; utterly worn out from being on the go”.
Where does 疲于奔命 come from?: 疲于奔命 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 疲于奔命?: 原指因受命奔走而搞得很累。后也指忙于奔走应付，弄得非常疲乏。

Copy the pinyin for 疲于奔命 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.