完璧归赵

Pronunciation: wán bì guī zhào Literal meaning: Return jade to Zhao complete

Origin & Usage

This idiom stems from the Warring States period when Lin Xiangru, a diplomat of Zhao state, was tasked with protecting a precious jade disk (璧) that King Qin demanded to see. When the king refused to return the complete (完) jade to Zhao (赵), Lin cleverly threatened to destroy it, forcing its return. The story appears in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, highlighting diplomatic ingenuity over military might. Beyond its historical significance in demonstrating integrity in negotiations, modern usage applies to returning borrowed items in perfect condition or, more broadly, to completing tasks with absolute integrity and thoroughness.

Examples

English: "The courier safely delivered the precious artifact to the museum"

Chinese: 快递员安全地将珍贵文物送到了博物馆