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赴汤蹈火 (fù tāng dǎo huǒ) — to go through fire and water; to brave any danger or hardship (out of loyalty or devotion)

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning to brave any danger or hardship out of deep loyalty or devotion — literally 'go into boiling water and walk through fire.' Used in formal or literary writing, often paired with words like 在所不辞 or 忠心耿耿.

idiom
to go through fire and waterto brave any danger or hardship (out of loyalty or devotion)

Examples

  • ，赴汤蹈火，。
    Wèi le guó jiā, tā yuàn yì fù tāng dǎo huǒ, zài suǒ bù cí.
    For the country, he is willing to go through fire and water without hesitation.
  • 赴汤蹈火。
    Zhēn zhèng de péng you huì zài nǐ xū yào shí fù tāng dǎo huǒ.
    A true friend will go through fire and water when you need them.
  • ，赴汤蹈火。
    Tā duì shī fu zhōng xīn gěng gěng, jí shǐ fù tāng dǎo huǒ yě jué bú tuì suō.
    He is utterly loyal to his master and would never back down even if it meant going through fire and water.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

赴汤go through hot water
赴fùgo to汤tānghot water
动宾Verb + object
蹈火tread on fire
蹈dǎotread火huǒfire
动宾Verb + object

赴汤 and 蹈火 both speak of going through hot water and stepping on fire, conveying braving any danger.

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
走走zǒurunning
Sound part声符shēngfú
卜
卜bǔ赴fù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

赴 pairs 走, meaning running, with 卜, which gives the sound.

Open 赴 →

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 湯; 汤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng湯tāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 汤, the shape explained is 湯: 氵 is water, and 昜 gives the sound.

Open 汤 →

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
足足zú
Sound part声符shēngfú
舀
舀yǎo蹈dǎo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蹈 is made of 足, a foot, and 舀; the foot part shows it is about foot actions, and 舀 gives the sound.

Open 蹈 →

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

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSafety & Danger

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