📖 Meaning
Describes something engraved on the heart and carved into the bone, conveying a profound and lasting impression that can never be forgotten. It is equivalent to the idiom 刻骨铭心 and is most often used to express deep gratitude or an unforgettable kindness.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Ming Dynasty playwright Lu Cai's (陆采) chuanqi work 'The Pearl Record' (《明珠记》), specifically the scene 'Obtaining Protection' (获荫). In the passage, a character who has been taken in during his wanderings expresses boundless gratitude to his benefactor, who not only fed and clothed him but also helped him onto the path of official success and offered his daughter's hand in marriage. The character declares that such tremendous virtue is 'engraved on the heart and carved into the bone,' meaning it will be remembered forever. The phrase has since been used to describe unforgettable gratitude or deeply etched memories.
💡 Example Usage
恩师的再造之恩，学生镌心铭骨，永世不忘。
For my teacher's life-changing grace, I am forever engraved in heart and bone, never to be forgotten.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 镌心铭骨
- Pinyin: juān xīn míng gǔ
- Literal Translation: engrave, heart, carve, bone
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4