📖 Meaning
Originally meant to give up all other intentions and make no further plans. Now commonly describes someone who has made up their mind firmly and will never change it, or who is wholeheartedly devoted to a person or cause without any wavering.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase first appears in Act 4 of the Yuan dynasty anonymous play 'The Mandarin Duck Quilt' (鸳鸯被), where a wealthy man named Liu in Luoyang is described as someone who would only 'die in his heart and settle to the ground' once a debt was repaid. Originally it referred to abandoning ulterior motives or schemes. Over time the meaning shifted to describe unwavering determination or wholehearted commitment. The expression also appears in Wu Cheng'en's Ming dynasty novel 'Journey to the West', where the character Zhu Bajie reluctantly but resolutely follows along.
💡 Example Usage
他死心塌地跟着师傅学艺，十年如一日从未动摇。
He followed his master to learn the craft with unwavering devotion, never faltering for ten years straight.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 死心塌地
- Pinyin: sǐ xīn tā dì
- Literal Translation: dead, heart, collapse, ground
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4