不辱使命 (bù rǔ shǐ mìng) — to successfully carry out an assignment, to live up to one's mission

Definition

Formal idiom meaning to successfully fulfill one's mission — emphasizes accomplishing a task without disgracing the trust placed in you. Reads as 4-character 成语 (chéngyǔ), far more literary than plain 完成.

idiom
to successfully carry out an assignment, to live up to one's mission

Examples

  • ，不辱使命。
    Tā chū sè dì wán chéng le rèn wu, bù rǔ shǐ mìng.
    He completed the task excellently and lived up to his mission.
  • 不辱使命，。
    Zhè cì fǎng wèn wǒ men bù rǔ shǐ mìng, yíng dé le duì fāng de zūn zhòng.
    We carried out this visit successfully and earned the other side's respect.
  • ，不辱使命，。
    Zuò wéi dài biǎo, tā bù rǔ shǐ mìng, yuán mǎn wán chéng le tán pàn.
    As a representative, he lived up to his mission and successfully completed the negotiations.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

辱 combines 辰, drawn as a hoe, with 寸, drawn as a hand.

Open 辱 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
吏
吏lì使shǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

Open 使 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng命mìng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

命 combines 口, a mouth, with 令, which gives the sound.

Open 命 →

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