📖 Meaning
Heaven has taken away his soul. This idiom is a metaphor indicating that a person is near death and their days are numbered. It implies that heaven has claimed the person's vital spirit, signaling their imminent demise.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Zuo Zhuan (Chronicles of Zuo), in the chapter covering the 15th year of Duke Xuan of Lu (594 BC). A minister predicted that Yuanshu would face great calamity, declaring 'Heaven has taken away his soul.' The phrase also appears in the Book of Jin, Biography of Wen Qiao, where it is written 'Heaven has taken away his soul, the day of death is approaching.' The expression uses the imagery of heaven stripping away a person's vital spirit to signify that their life is coming to an end.
💡 Example Usage
那恶霸作恶多端，天夺之魄，命不久矣。
That tyrant committed countless evil deeds; heaven has taken his soul, and his days are numbered.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 天夺之魄
- Pinyin: tiān duó zhī pò
- Literal Translation: heaven, take away, his, soul
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4