耻居王后 — “Ashamed to reside behind the king”
耻居王后 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Ashamed to be ranked below someone inferior (especially in literary or artistic reputation); disdaining to be second to a less capable person and striving for the top position”. Literally, “Ashamed to reside behind the king”.
耻居王后 Pronunciation and Pinyin
耻居王后 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 耻居王后
Origin and Story of 耻居王后
During the Tang Dynasty, poetry was a predominant literary form. Four literary figures, Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang, were particularly renowned and collectively known as the 'Four Paragons of Early Tang.' They were all famous for their poetry and were usually ranked in the order of 'Wang, Yang, Lu, Luo.'
Upon learning this traditional ranking, Yang Jiong reportedly exclaimed, 'I am ashamed to be before Lu and ashamed to be after Wang.' The phrase '耻居王后' (chǐ jū wáng hòu) directly references Yang Jiong's sentiment of being 'ashamed to be after Wang (Bo),' expressing a strong desire not to be outranked by someone, especially if one perceives oneself as equally or more capable.
Idioms Related to 耻居王后
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Open the tool →Questions about 耻居王后
What does 耻居王后 mean?
耻居王后 (chǐ jū wáng hòu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Ashamed to be ranked below someone inferior (especially in literary or artistic reputation); disdaining to be second to a less capable person and striving for the top position”.
How do you pronounce 耻居王后?
耻居王后 is pronounced chǐ jū wáng hòu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 耻居王后 literally mean?
Literally, 耻居王后 means “Ashamed to reside behind the king”. It is used to mean “Ashamed to be ranked below someone inferior (especially in literary or artistic reputation); disdaining to be second to a less capable person and striving for the top position”.
Where does 耻居王后 come from?
耻居王后 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 耻居王后?
指在文名上耻于处在不及己者之后。