Hanzi Now
CharactersIdiomsChinese NameFlashcards
Tools

Visual content

  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorCreate PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Character Highlight AnimatorChoose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
  • Chinese Text Morph AnimatorTurn one Chinese character, word or phrase into another; download SVG, MP4 or WebM

Audio content

  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting

Teaching materials

  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
  • Bingo CardsPicture and word Bingo for your class
  • Picture WorksheetsChinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Other

  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Zodiac CalculatorFind your animal sign from your birth date and make a zodiac card.
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
View all tools →
杀彘教子
杀彘教子
杀彘教子
杀彘教子
杀彘教子
杀彘教子
杀彘教子

杀彘教子 — “Kill a pig to teach one's son”

杀彘教子 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Parents must keep their promises to children and set an example of trustworthiness and integrity, demonstrating that their words are reliable”. Literally, “Kill a pig to teach one's son”.

Frequency

杀彘教子 Pronunciation and Pinyin

杀彘教子 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
杀
shā6to kill
彘
zhì12vile contemptible despicable pig
教
jiào11teach, instruct, cause, religion
子
zǐ3son, child, seed, small thing

Example Sentence with 杀彘教子

父母教育孩子要讲诚信,就应该做到杀彘教子,言出必行
Parents who want to teach their children honesty and integrity should follow the principle of 'killing the pig to teach one's son,' always keeping their promises.

Origin and Story of 杀彘教子

During the Spring and Autumn period, Zengzi's wife was going to the market, and her son cried and insisted on going with her.

His wife told him to go back home, promising to kill a pig for him to eat when she returned.

When his wife came back from the market, Zengzi grabbed a pig, ready to slaughter it.

His wife said that it was just a way to pacify a child.

Zengzi replied, "A parent's words and actions directly influence a child's entire life. What you say, you must do."

Idioms Related to 杀彘教子

Synonyms of 杀彘教子

  • zēng曾zǐ子shā杀zhì彘Parents must keep their word

More idioms starting with 杀

  • shā杀yī一jǐng儆bǎi百punish one to warn many
  • shā杀yī一lì利bǎi百punish one to warn many
  • shā杀yī一lì砺bǎi百punish one to warn many
  • shā杀yī一jǐng警bǎi百punish one to warn many
  • shā杀rén人bù不yòng用dāo刀destroy reputation without violence
  • shā杀rén人bù不zhǎ眨yǎn眼ruthless and merciless killer
  • shā杀rén人bù不jiàn见xuè血harm insidiously without trace
  • shā杀rén人cháng偿mìng命,,qiàn欠zhài债huán还qián钱Life for a life, debt for a debt
  • shā杀rén人jié劫cái财kill people and rob property
  • shā杀rén人rú如jiè芥slaughter people like weeds
  • shā杀rén人rú如cǎo草slaughter people like grass
  • shā杀rén人rú如hāo蒿slaughter people on a massive scale

Recommended tools

Chinese Text Image Generator

Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes

Open the tool →

Character Highlight Animator

Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order

Open the tool →

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Bingo Cards

Picture and word Bingo for your class

Open the tool →

Questions about 杀彘教子

What does 杀彘教子 mean?

杀彘教子 (shā zhì jiào zǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Parents must keep their promises to children and set an example of trustworthiness and integrity, demonstrating that their words are reliable”.

How do you pronounce 杀彘教子?

杀彘教子 is pronounced shā zhì jiào zǐ in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 杀彘教子 literally mean?

Literally, 杀彘教子 means “Kill a pig to teach one's son”. It is used to mean “Parents must keep their promises to children and set an example of trustworthiness and integrity, demonstrating that their words are reliable”.

Where does 杀彘教子 come from?

杀彘教子 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 杀彘教子?

彘:猪。父母说话算数,教子诚实无欺。

Hanzi Now

Explore the charm of Chinese language

Explore

  • Characters
  • Idioms
  • Chinese Names
  • Flashcards

Tools

  • Chinese Text Image Generator
  • Stroke Order Animator
  • Character Highlight Animator
  • Bingo Cards
  • Picture Worksheets
  • All Tools

More

  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
© 2026 Hanzi NowContact Us