📖 Meaning
This idiom describes a person whose filial devotion and thoughts toward their parents never waver or diminish. The character 匮 means 'to be exhausted or deficient.' It conveys the ideal of constant, unceasing filial piety throughout one's life.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the 'Classic of Poetry' (诗经·大雅·既醉), compiled during the Western Zhou dynasty (c. 11th century–771 BCE). The original line reads, '孝子不匮，永锡尔类' — 'The filial child's devotion never exhausts; Heaven eternally blesses those of such kind.' The poem is a sacrificial ode praising the virtues of ancestors and the blessing of filial conduct. Over time, the expression was condensed into the four-character idiom 孝思不匮, emphasizing that filial piety should be a lifelong, unwavering commitment.
💡 Example Usage
他几十年如一日侍奉母亲，可谓孝思不匮。
For decades he cared for his mother without fail — a true example of unwavering filial devotion.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 孝思不匮
- Pinyin: xiào sī bù kuì
- Literal Translation: filial, thought, not, exhausted
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4