昂首挺胸
昂首挺胸 (áng shǒu tǐng xiōng) literally means “head high, chest out” and expresses “walk proudly; show confidence”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: ang shou ting xiong, ang shou ting xiong,昂首挺胸 meaning, 昂首挺胸 in english
Walk proudly; show confidence
Pronunciation: áng shǒu tǐng xiōng Literal meaning: Head high, chest out
Origin & Usage
Head (首) raised (昂) and chest (胸) pushed out (挺). The posture is the whole content, and the phrase stays neutral about whether the confidence behind it has been earned, which leaves context to do all the work. Marching troops and a child who has just been praised are both 昂首挺胸, and so is somebody putting a brave face on a defeat — one of its commonest uses in Chinese, since walking out with the head up is exactly what one does when the news was bad.
Examples
English: "She walked into the interview with confidence."
Chinese: 她昂首挺胸地走进面试室。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
首屈一指
shǒu qū yī zhǐ
Foremost; top-ranked
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自强不息
zì qiáng bù xī
Strive continuously for self-improvement
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大器晚成
dà qì wǎn chéng
Excellence develops with time
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朝气蓬勃
zhāo qì péng bó
Vibrant youthful energy and enthusiasm
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东山再起
dōng shān zài qǐ
Make a comeback after setback or retirement
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胸有丘壑
xiōng yǒu qiū hè
Have great vision
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胸怀大志
xiōng huái dà zhì
Aim high
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胸有成竹
xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
Have clear plan beforehand
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 昂首挺胸 mean in English?
昂首挺胸 (áng shǒu tǐng xiōng) literally translates to “Head high, chest out” and is used to express “Walk proudly; show confidence”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 昂首挺胸 used?
Situation: She walked into the interview with confidence.
What is the pinyin for 昂首挺胸?
The pinyin pronunciation for 昂首挺胸 is “áng shǒu tǐng xiōng”.