📖 Meaning
To establish meritorious deeds and accomplish great undertakings. It is synonymous with 建功立业 (establish merit and build a career), emphasizing the pursuit of significant achievements that benefit society.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the 'Huayang National Records' (华阳国志), a work by the Jin dynasty scholar Chang Qu (常璩) chronicling the history of the Sichuan region. In the section on Ba Prefecture (巴志), Chang Qu praises officials such as Guiyang Prefect Li Wen, noting that they all established meritorious deeds and accomplished great undertakings of benefit to the world. The Tang dynasty scholar Lin Yun (林蕴), in his letter to the chancellor, also cited this idiom to express his admiration for ancient figures who had achieved such distinction.
💡 Example Usage
见古人之有建功立事者，心则幕之。
When I see ancients who established meritorious deeds and accomplished great undertakings, my heart yearns to emulate them.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 建功立事
- Pinyin: jiàn gōng lì shì
- Literal Translation: establish, merit, set up, affair
- Category: Success
- Characters: 4