📖 Meaning
Literally 'to die and come back to life.' It describes someone or something reviving after apparent death, or a situation being rescued from the brink of failure. Often used metaphorically for miraculous recovery or renewal.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the work 'Bian Dao Lun' (辩道论) by Cao Zhi of the state of Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. The text recounts a story about an alchemist named Dong Zhongjun who was imprisoned for a crime. He feigned death for several days, with his eyes sinking and maggots appearing, then came back to life—though he eventually died for real later. This tale of apparent death and revival gave rise to the phrase.
💡 Example Usage
经过医生的全力抢救，他竟然死而复生，奇迹般地活了下来。
After the doctors' best efforts to save him, he miraculously came back to life and survived.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 死而复生
- Pinyin: sǐ ér fù shēng
- Literal Translation: die, and then, again, live
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4