俯首称臣 (fǔ shǒu chèn) — to bow and submit; to surrender humbly (as a vassal)
Definition
A formal chengyu meaning to bow one's head and swear loyalty as a vassal — used for total surrender to a much stronger power, in writing or dramatic speech, not casual talk.
idiom
to bow and submitto surrender humbly (as a vassal)
Examples
- ,俯首称臣。Zhàn bài zhī hòu, zhè ge guó jiā zhǐ néng xiàng qiáng guó fǔ shǒu chèn.After losing the war, this country could only bow and submit to the strong power.
- 俯首称臣。Zhè jiā gōng sī bù kěn zài jìng zhēng zhōng fǔ shǒu chèn.This company refused to bow down in the competition.
- 俯首称臣。Tā nìng kě cí zhí yě bú xiàng duì shǒu fǔ shǒu chèn.He would rather quit than surrender to his opponent.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.