📖 Meaning
Something that endures for a hundred generations without being erased or diminished. It describes a name, achievement, or reputation that remains imperishable through the ages, impervious to the passage of time.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Book of the Later Han (后汉书), in the commentary on the Southern Xiongnu. The author reflects on how great consequences can arise from the smallest beginnings, and how the fundamental causes of success or failure remain unchanged across a hundred generations. The expression emphasizes that certain truths or legacies are enduring and cannot be worn away by time. The Tang dynasty scholar Han Yu later employed it in his essay Sending Away Poverty (送穷文) to affirm that a worthy name lasts forever.
💡 Example Usage
他的功绩将百世不磨，永远为后人所铭记。
His achievements will endure for a hundred generations, forever remembered by those who come after.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 百世不磨
- Pinyin: bǎi shì bù mó
- Literal Translation: hundred, generations, not, wear away
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4