📖 Meaning
When drinking water, one thinks of its source. It is a metaphor for remembering where one's blessings come from and never forgetting one's roots. The idiom encourages gratitude toward those who made present benefits possible.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Zhengdiao Qu' (徵调曲) by Yu Xin of the Northern Zhou dynasty. The original lines read: 'One who eats the fruit thinks of the tree; one who drinks the stream cherishes its source.' Yu Xin composed these songs during a turbulent era, expressing loyalty and remembrance toward his homeland and benefactors. Over time, the condensed phrase 饮水思源 became a widely used idiom urging people to remain grateful and mindful of origins.
💡 Example Usage
他饮水思源，发达后始终不忘当年资助他求学的那位老人。
Never forgetting his roots, he always remembered the elderly man who funded his studies even after achieving great success.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 饮水思源
- Pinyin: yǐn shuǐ sī yuán
- Literal Translation: drink, water, think, source
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4