📖 Meaning
This idiom conveys the idea that one's loyalty, memory, or devotion endures even beyond death, never fading or decaying. It describes a profound commitment or remembrance so deep that it transcends mortality itself.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in the Zuo Zhuan (左传), a classic Chinese historical commentary from the Spring and Autumn period. In the 33rd year of Duke Xi of Lu, a loyal minister of the state of Qin named Jian Shu warned against a reckless military campaign, and when his advice was ignored, he expressed that his loyalty would remain '死且不朽'—undying even in death. The idiom later became a literary expression for unwavering devotion and eternal remembrance in classical Chinese prose.
💡 Example Usage
他对故土的眷恋，可谓死且不朽。
His attachment to his homeland can be described as undying even in death.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 死且不朽
- Pinyin: sǐ qiě bù xiǔ
- Literal Translation: die, yet, not, decay
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4