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为国捐躯 (wèi guó juān qū) — to lay down one's life for one's country; to die for one's country

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning to sacrifice one's life for one's country. It is fixed and literary — only used in writing, speeches, or commemorative contexts, not everyday talk.

idiom
to lay down one's life for one's countryto die for one's country

Examples

  • 为国捐躯，。
    Xǔ duō yīng xióng zài zhàn zhēng zhōng wèi guó juān qū, tā men de jīng shén yǒng yuǎn zhí dé wǒ men xué xí.
    Many heroes laid down their lives for their country in war, and their spirit is always worth learning from.
  • 为国捐躯，。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù lì zhì yào wèi guó juān qū, zuì zhōng zài zhàn chǎng shàng shí xiàn le zì jǐ de nuò yán.
    He resolved from a young age to die for his country, and finally fulfilled his promise on the battlefield.
  • 为国捐躯。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng shù le yí wèi shì bīng wèi guó juān qū de gǎn rén gù shi.
    This movie tells the moving story of a soldier who laid down his life for his country.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 國; 国 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéiclosure
Sound part声符shēngfú
或
或huò國guó
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 國 uses 囗 to show closure and 或 to give the sound.

Open 国 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
肙
肙yuān捐juān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 扌, from 手, shows a hand doing something. The right side 肙 gives the sound yuān.

Open 捐 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 軀; 躯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
身身shēnbody
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū軀qū
Same sound today

The traditional form 軀 puts 身, a body, beside 區, which gives the sound. The simplified 躯 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 躯 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesMilitary & Defense

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