CHENGYU
卧薪尝胆(wò xīn cháng dǎn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- formal
- Source:
- 《史记·越王勾践世家》
MEANING
- Literal
- to sleep on brushwood and taste gall
- Figurative meaning
- to endure hardship patiently for the sake of a goal or revenge
ORIGIN STORY
Defeated by the state of Wu, King Goujian of Yue slept on firewood and tasted bitter gall every day to remember his humiliation — until he rebuilt his state and finally prevailed.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to keep one's nose to the grindstone”
EXAMPLES
他卧薪尝胆十年，终于成功了。Tā wò xīn cháng dǎn shí nián, zhōngyú chénggōng le.HSK6
He endured ten years of hardship and finally succeeded.
球队卧薪尝胆，今年一定要夺冠。Qiúduì wò xīn cháng dǎn, jīnnián yídìng yào duóguàn.HSK6
The team has been grinding in silence and is determined to win this year.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: The hardship is self-imposed and purposeful — not ordinary suffering.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-14
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01