昂首挺胸 (áng shǒu tǐng xiōng) — to hold one's head high and chest out; to be proud and confident

Definition

A four-character idiom (chéngyǔ) meaning to stand proudly with head high and chest out — confidence in posture. Common as a predicate or with 地 as an adverbial, like 'walk in with head held high'.

verb
to hold one's head high and chest outto be proud and confident

Examples

  • 昂首挺胸。
    Tā áng shǒu tǐng xiōng dì zǒu jìn le huì chǎng.
    He walked into the meeting hall with his head high and chest out.
  • 昂首挺胸，。
    Zhàn shì men áng shǒu tǐng xiōng, jīng shén bǎo mǎn.
    The soldiers stood tall and proud, full of spirit.
  • ，昂首挺胸。
    Suī rán shī bài le, dàn tā yī rán áng shǒu tǐng xiōng.
    Although he failed, he still held his head high.

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.

昂首raise the head
昂ángraise首shǒuhead
动宾Verb + object
挺胸stretch the chest
挺tǐngstretch胸xiōngchest
动宾Verb + object

昂首 gives raising the head and 挺胸 gives stretching the chest, together showing proud confidence.

Characters in this word

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
卬
卬áng昂áng
Same sound today

昂 pairs 日 (sun) with 卬, a drawing of a standing man and a kneeling man that gives the sound.

Open 昂 →

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

The shape comes from an old drawing of an animal's head, showing a long mouth and horns; the version with hair became 首.

Open 首 →

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
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
廷
廷tíng挺tǐng
Same sound today

挺 combines 手, a hand, with 廷, which gives its sound.

Open 挺 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
匈
匈xiōng胸xiōng
Same sound today

胸 adds 肉 (meat/flesh) to the original form 匈, which provides the sound.

Open 胸 →

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