卧薪尝胆

Traditional: 臥薪嘗膽

wò xīn cháng dǎn

Dictionary entry

(lit.) to sleep on brushwood and taste gall (like King Goujian of Yue 勾踐|勾践[Gou1 jian4], in order to recall one's humiliations) (idiom)

What does 卧薪尝胆 mean?

卧薪尝胆 (wò xīn cháng dǎn) has 2 dictionary entries or readings.

1(lit.) to sleep on brushwood and taste gall (like King Goujian of Yue 勾踐|勾践[Gou1 jian4], in order to recall one's humiliations) (idiom)

2(fig.) to maintain one's resolve for revenge

3variant of 臥薪嘗膽|卧薪尝胆[wo4 xin1 chang2 dan3]

Character breakdown

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卧wòto lie · to crouch 薪xīn(literary) firewood; fuel · (bound form) salary 尝chángto taste; to try (food) · to experience 胆dǎngall bladder · courage

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How to pronounce 卧薪尝胆

卧薪尝胆

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.