How do you pronounce 春蚕到死?

春蚕到死 is pronounced as "chūn cán dào sǐ" in Mandarin Chinese.

春蚕到死

Q: What does 春蚕到死 mean?

春蚕到死 (chūn cán dào sǐ) literally means "Spring silkworm until death" and metaphorically means "Give out until nothing is left". It belongs to the Success & Perseverance category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 春蚕到死 used?

春蚕到死 is used when The teacher devoted her entire life to educating rural children.

春蚕到死 (chūn cán dào sǐ) literally means “spring silkworm until death” and expresses “give out until nothing is left”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.

Also searched as: chun can dao si, chun can dao si,春蚕到死 meaning, 春蚕到死 in english

Give out until nothing is left

Pronunciation: chūn cán dào sǐ Literal meaning: Spring silkworm until death

Origin & Usage

This image comes from Li Shangyin's Untitled poem of the Tang dynasty: 春蚕到死丝方尽，蜡炬成灰泪始干 — the spring (春) silkworm (蚕) spins until death (死) before its thread is done, and the candle's tears dry only when it has burned to ash. The couplet is a love poem, and the silkworm is a figure for longing that does not stop while life lasts. Later usage broadened it to any devotion sustained to the very end, and it is now often applied to teachers.

Examples

English: "The teacher devoted her entire life to educating rural children"

Chinese: 这位老师将毕生精力都献给了乡村教育

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about success & perseverance

雨后春笋

yǔ hòu chūn sǔn

Emerging rapidly in great numbers

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妙手回春

miào shǒu huí chūn

Extraordinary healing skill

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兔死狗烹

tù sǐ gǒu pēng

Discard allies once they are useless

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死而后已

sǐ ér hòu yǐ

Continue until death; lifelong commitment

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毛遂自荐

máo suì zì jiàn

Volunteer oneself confidently

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闻鸡起舞

wén jī qǐ wǔ

Practice with determination

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精卫填海

jīng wèi tián hǎi

Persist despite impossibility

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鹤立鸡群

hè lì jī qún

Stand out from crowd

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 春蚕到死 mean in English?

春蚕到死 (chūn cán dào sǐ) literally translates to “Spring silkworm until death” and is used to express “Give out until nothing is left”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.