📖 Meaning
To share both joys and hardships together. It describes a deep bond between people—such as comrades, couples, or teammates—who stand by each other through good times and bad, demonstrating mutual loyalty and solidarity.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase has roots in classical Chinese literature and political thought, most notably appearing in works associated with the Warring States period. It embodies the Confucian ideal that a ruler should share the pleasures and sufferings of the people, a principle advocated by thinkers like Mencius (孟子). The sentiment also echoes the leadership philosophy recorded in texts such as the Zhanguo Ce (战国策), where commanders were urged to eat and endure the same conditions as their soldiers to win their devotion.
💡 Example Usage
这对夫妻多年来同甘共苦，终于把小生意做成了大企业。
Through years of sharing both joys and hardships, this couple finally turned their small business into a thriving enterprise.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 同甘共苦
- Pinyin: tóng gān gòng kǔ
- Literal Translation: same sweet, share bitter
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4