茕茕孑立，形影相吊 — “Solitary and standing alone, one's body and shadow consoling each other”
茕茕孑立，形影相吊 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be utterly alone and helpless, relying on no one and finding comfort only in one's own shadow; describes a state of extreme loneliness and isolation”. Literally, “Solitary and standing alone, one's body and shadow consoling each other”.
茕茕孑立，形影相吊 Pronunciation and Pinyin
茕茕孑立，形影相吊 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 茕茕孑立，形影相吊
Origin and Story of 茕茕孑立，形影相吊
After Emperor Wu of Jin unified the country, he promoted 'governance through filial piety,' advocating respect for parents and elders. He wanted to appoint Li Mi, a Shangshu Lang from Western Shu, and issued an imperial edict appointing him as a Langzhong.
Li Mi was reluctant to take office, so he submitted a memorial called 'Chen Qing Biao' (Petition to Express My Feelings) to Emperor Wu. In it, he explained that his grandmother was utterly alone and helpless, relying solely on him, and he wished to care for her until her death before serving in office.
Idioms Related to 茕茕孑立，形影相吊
More idioms starting with 茕
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Open the tool →Questions about 茕茕孑立，形影相吊
What does 茕茕孑立，形影相吊 mean?
茕茕孑立，形影相吊 (qióng qióng jié lì ， xíng yǐng xiāng diào) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be utterly alone and helpless, relying on no one and finding comfort only in one's own shadow; describes a state of extreme loneliness and isolation”.
How do you pronounce 茕茕孑立，形影相吊?
茕茕孑立，形影相吊 is pronounced qióng qióng jié lì ， xíng yǐng xiāng diào in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 茕茕孑立，形影相吊 literally mean?
Literally, 茕茕孑立，形影相吊 means “Solitary and standing alone, one's body and shadow consoling each other”. It is used to mean “to be utterly alone and helpless, relying on no one and finding comfort only in one's own shadow; describes a state of extreme loneliness and isolation”.
Where does 茕茕孑立，形影相吊 come from?
茕茕孑立，形影相吊 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 茕茕孑立，形影相吊?
茕茕：孤独的样子；孑：孤单；形：指身体；吊：慰问。孤身一人，只有和自己的身影相互慰问。形容无依无靠，非常孤单。