Daily Chengyu

卧薪尝胆

wò xīn cháng dǎn

To endure hardship and humiliation to achieve a long-term goal.

PerseveranceHard WorkSuccessAncient China
intermediateCommonFormal

Literal Meaning: Sleep on firewood and taste gall.

卧wòlie down
薪xīnfirewood
尝chángtaste
胆dǎngall (bitter)

Today's Situation

You take a humble job after failure, study nights, and plan your comeback for years.

Perfect Chengyu: 卧薪尝胆

Actual Meaning

Describes disciplined suffering chosen for revenge or comeback. Strong willpower over years, not a quick fix.

Emotional toneDetermined, intense
Usage feelNeutral in tone
FormalityFormal

English Equivalent

  • Grin and bear it.
  • Endure hardship for a greater goal.
  • Steel yourself.

English equivalents capture the general idea, but they may not fit every context exactly.

Modern Usage Example

He 卧薪尝胆 for three years before rebuilding his company.

Chinese Example Sentences

他卧薪尝胆，终于成功了。

Tā wò xīn cháng dǎn, zhōngyú chénggōng le.

He endured hardship and finally succeeded.

成功需要卧薪尝胆的精神。

Chénggōng xūyào wò xīn cháng dǎn de jīngshén.

Success requires the spirit of enduring bitterness.

Origin Story

King Goujian of Yue slept on firewood and tasted bitter gall after defeat, reminding himself of humiliation until he restored his kingdom.

Spring and Autumn periodRecords of the Grand Historian (史记)

When Natives Use It

Good fit

  • Entrepreneurship
  • Sports comebacks
  • Long-term revenge arcs in stories

Avoid

    Dramatic and admired. Common in motivational writing.

    • Common in speech
    • Common in writing
    • Sounds natural today
    • Possible but uncommon in casual chat
    • More common in writing or commentary
    • Use with care — can sound critical

    Similar and Opposite Chengyu

    Similar meaning

    愚公移山

    yú gōng yí shān

    Determination moves mountains.

    Opposite meaning

    守株待兔

    shǒu zhū dài tù

    Wait passively for luck.

    Daily Quiz

    Which best matches 卧薪尝胆?

    Share and Save

    View another Chengyu

    Save, share, and visual export actions are coming soon. Interfaces are ready for the next release.

    Explore More

    More from the same category

    Random Chengyu: 锦上添花Browse archiveWhat Chengyu Fits This? — coming soon
    shape

    Learn Chinese in 3 months with ease

    Start Learning
    hero image