宁死不屈 (nìng sǐ bù qū) — would rather die than submit; to prefer death over surrender

Definition

A formal idiom for unwavering defiance: choosing death over surrender. Used in writing and speeches to praise heroic, principled resistance.

idiom
would rather die than submitto prefer death over surrender

Examples

  • 宁死不屈，。
    Tā zài dí rén de yán xíng kǎo dǎ xià nìng sǐ bù qū, lìng rén jìng pèi.
    He would rather die than submit under the enemy's brutal torture, earning people's admiration.
  • 宁死不屈。
    Zhè xiē nìng sǐ bù qū de yīng xióng zhí dé wǒ men yǒng yuǎn míng jì.
    These heroes who would rather die than submit deserve our eternal remembrance.
  • 宁死不屈。
    Liú hú lán nìng sǐ bù qū de jīng shén jī lì le yí dài yòu yí dài rén.
    Liu Hulan's spirit of preferring death over surrender has inspired generation after generation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

宁死rather die
宁níngrather死sǐdie
偏正Modifier + head
不屈not submit
不bùnot屈qūsubmit
偏正Modifier + head

宁死 and 不屈 are paired: preferring death and refusing to yield express unbroken resolve.

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 寧; 宁 is its simplified writing.

  • 宀宀miánhouse
  • 皿皿mǐnfood or wine vessel
  • 丂丂kǎotable (?)
Open 宁 →

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
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

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 →

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
尾尾wěitail
Sound part声符shēngfú
出
出chū屈qū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

屈 was built from 出 for sound and 尾 for tail; the tail part later changed into the top of 屈.

Open 屈 →

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