📖 Meaning
Describes a person whose virtue is so vast that it rivals heaven and earth. It is the highest possible praise for moral character. The phrase conveys that one's ethical stature is boundless and cosmic in scale.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Daoist text Zhuangzi (《庄子》), specifically the chapter 'Tian Zifang' (田子方), written during the Warring States period by Zhuang Zhou. In the original passage, a disciple addresses the Master, saying, 'Your virtue matches heaven and earth, yet you still rely on supreme words to cultivate the mind.' This conveys that even a sage of boundless virtue continues to refine his heart through wisdom. Over the centuries the phrase became a classical expression for ultimate moral greatness. In the late Qing dynasty, Zou Rong used it in Revolutionary Army (《革命军》) to describe a monument honoring Queen Victoria.
💡 Example Usage
这位圣贤德配天地，深受万民敬仰。
This sage's virtue rivals heaven and earth, and he is deeply revered by all the people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 德配天地
- Pinyin: dé pèi tiān dì
- Literal Translation: virtue, matches, heaven, earth
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4