📖 Meaning
To be wrapped in a horse hide after death on the battlefield. It refers to dying heroically in combat and having one's body returned wrapped in horse skin. The idiom symbolizes a warrior's resolve to sacrifice his life for his country rather than die peacefully at home.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the biography of Ma Yuan (马援) in the Book of Later Han (后汉书). Ma Yuan was a famous general of the Eastern Han dynasty. He declared that a true man should die on the frontier battlefield and have his corpse wrapped in horse hide for burial, rather than lying in bed surrounded by wives and children. His words expressed a determination to serve the nation with ultimate sacrifice, and the phrase became a lasting symbol of martial heroism.
💡 Example Usage
将士们抱定马革裹尸的决心，义无反顾地冲向敌阵。
The soldiers, resolved to die on the battlefield wrapped in horse hide, charged toward the enemy lines without hesitation.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 马革裹尸
- Pinyin: mǎ gé guǒ shī
- Literal Translation: horse, leather, wrap, corpse
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4