📖 Meaning
To have one's bones ground to powder and body crushed to pieces. It signifies a willingness to sacrifice one's life entirely for a cause or to repay a great debt of gratitude. The idiom conveys ultimate devotion and selfless loyalty.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom first appears in Tang dynasty memorial writings. Wang Wei used it in his 'Memorial of Thanks on Behalf of Prefect Xue for the Appointment as Prefect of Wuzhou,' declaring that even if his bones were ground and body crushed, he could not repay one ten-thousandth of the imperial favor. The calligrapher Yan Zhenqing likewise employed it in his 'Memorial of Thanks for the Appointment as Vice Minister of Revenue,' expressing that he would sacrifice himself utterly yet remain unable to adequately answer such grace.
💡 Example Usage
为报答朝廷厚恩，纵然粉骨糜躯，臣也毫无怨言。
To repay the court's great kindness, even if I must grind my bones and crush my body, I shall have no regrets.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 粉骨糜躯
- Pinyin: fěn gǔ mí qū
- Literal Translation: grind bones, crush body
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4