📖 Meaning
Describes the heroic spirit of someone with great ambition who rises at the cock's crow to diligently train and cultivate themselves. It symbolizes timely self-motivation and a determined drive to pursue one's aspirations without delay.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom stems from the story of Zu Ti (祖逖) and Liu Kun (刘琨) during the Western Jin Dynasty (西晋). As young roommates with aspirations to serve their country, they heard a rooster crowing in the middle of the night. Rather than dismissing it as a nuisance, Zu Ti took it as a call to action and woke Liu Kun to go out and practice swordplay together. The episode, recorded in the Book of Jin (晋书·祖逖传), became an enduring symbol of ambition and tireless self-improvement in pursuit of noble goals.
💡 Example Usage
年轻人应当鸡鸣起舞，趁青春年华努力奋斗，不辜负大好时光。
Young people should rise at the rooster's crow and strive hard in their youth, never wasting the prime years of life.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鸡鸣起舞
- Pinyin: jī míng qǐ wǔ
- Literal Translation: rooster, crow, rise, dance
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4