📖 Meaning
Literally meaning 'to apply the whip first,' this idiom is used as a classical allusion for striving to be the first or taking the initiative. It conveys the spirit of acting ahead of others to seize an early advantage.
📜 Origin Story
During the Western Jin dynasty, Liu Kun (刘琨) and Zu Ti (祖逖) were close friends who shared the ambition of recovering the Central Plains from northern invaders. Liu Kun once wrote to his relatives that he rested on his weapons awaiting dawn, determined to defeat the rebels, yet he constantly feared that Zu Ti would 'strike the whip first' — that is, spur ahead and accomplish their shared goal before him. The image of '著鞭' (applying the whip to a horse) thus became a lasting allusion for striving to take the lead.
💡 Example Usage
在科技创新的赛道上，这家公司一鞭先著，占据了市场先机。
On the track of technological innovation, this company struck first and seized the market initiative.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一鞭先著
- Pinyin: yī biān xiān zhuó
- Literal Translation: one, whip, first, to apply
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4