What's the difference between these two Chinese idioms?
呕心沥血 (vomiting heart, dripping blood) is about pouring everything into creative work, while 春蚕到死 (silkworm spins until death) is about selfless devotion to others. Self-expression vs self-sacrifice.
ǒu xīn lì xuè
“Invest utmost effort and emotion”
Literally: Vomit heart drip blood
Li He wrote by riding out with a bag, dropping lines into it as they came, and working them up at night; his mother, looking at the bag, said this boy would not stop until he had vomited out (呕) his heart (心). Han Yu, in a related image, wrote of cutting out his liver for paper and dripping (沥) his ...
Example: The author poured her deepest emotions into the novel
Chinese: 作者把最深的情感倾注在这部小说中
chūn cán dào sǐ
“Give out until nothing is left”
Literally: Spring silkworm until death
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 d...
Example: 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
| Aspect | 呕心沥血 | 春蚕到死 |
|---|---|---|
| Pinyin | ǒu xīn lì xuè | chūn cán dào sǐ |
| Literal Meaning | Vomit heart drip blood | Spring silkworm until death |
| Used For | Invest utmost effort and emotion | Give out until nothing is left |
| Theme | Success & Perseverance | Success & Perseverance |
| Example | The author poured her deepest emotions into the novel | The teacher devoted her entire life to educating rural children |
呕心沥血 (vomiting heart, dripping blood) is about pouring everything into creative work, while 春蚕到死 (silkworm spins until death) is about selfless devotion to others. Self-expression vs self-sacrifice.
呕心沥血 literally means "Vomit heart drip blood" and is used to describe "Invest utmost effort and emotion." Li He wrote by riding out with a bag, dropping lines into it as they came, and working them up at night; his mother, looking at the bag, said this boy would not stop until he had vomited out (呕) his h
春蚕到死 literally means "Spring silkworm until death" and is used to describe "Give out until nothing is left." 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 wh
Use 呕心沥血 when you want to emphasize "Invest utmost effort and emotion." Use 春蚕到死 when you want to emphasize "Give out until nothing is left." 呕心沥血 (vomiting heart, dripping blood) is about pouring everything into creative work, while 春蚕到死 (silkworm spins until death) is about selfless devotion to others. Self-expression vs self-sacrifice.