📖 Meaning
To regard one's life as light but righteousness as weighty. It describes a person willing to sacrifice their own life for a just and noble cause. The phrase is a variant of 轻身重义, carrying the same spirit of self-sacrifice for justice.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom embodies a moral ideal deeply rooted in classical Chinese thought, where righteousness (义) is valued above personal survival. The concept recurs throughout historical and philosophical writings, from the Book of Rites to Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, praising heroes who chose death over betraying their principles. It reflects the Confucian conviction that a person of integrity should place justice above self-preservation. The variant form 轻身重义 carries the identical meaning.
💡 Example Usage
历史上许多志士仁人轻生重义，为民族大义不惜牺牲性命。
Throughout history, many men of noble ideals valued righteousness above their own lives, willingly sacrificing themselves for the greater cause of their people.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 轻生重义
- Pinyin: qīng shēng zhòng yì
- Literal Translation: light, life, heavy, righteousness
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4