忍辱负重 (rěn rǔ fù zhòng) — to endure humiliation and hardship in order to accomplish an important task

Definition

A formal chengyu: 'to endure humiliation and carry heavy burdens for a greater goal' — a noble, long-term sacrifice, not everyday hardship. Used in writing and speeches to praise perseverance.

idiom
to endure humiliation and hardship in order to accomplish an important task

Examples

  • ，忍辱负重。
    Tā wèi le wán chéng shǐ mìng, gān yuàn rěn rǔ fù zhòng.
    He was willing to endure humiliation to accomplish his mission.
  • 忍辱负重，。
    Yuè wáng gōu jiàn rěn rǔ fù zhòng, zuì zhōng dǎ bài le wú guó.
    King Gou Jian of Yue endured humiliation to achieve his goal and finally defeated the state of Wu.
  • ，忍辱负重，。
    Zài chuàng yè chū qī, tā rěn rǔ fù zhòng, zhōng yú yíng lái le chéng gōng.
    In the early days of starting his business, he endured hardships and insults, and finally achieved success.

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.

忍辱endure humiliation
忍rěnendure辱rǔhumiliation
动宾Verb + object
负重carry heavy burden
负fùcarry重zhòngheavy
动宾Verb + object

Enduring humiliation and carrying a heavy burden express patience for an important task.

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

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

辱 combines 辰, drawn as a hoe, with 寸, drawn as a hand.

Open 辱 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 負; 负 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.

Open 负 →

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
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

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