赤胆忠心 (chì dǎn zhōng xīn) — (idiom) utter devotion, absolute loyalty

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'utter devotion and absolute loyalty' — a stronger, more literary choice than plain 忠诚, with a vivid 'red-bellied' image of courage. Used for deeply committed loyalty to country, cause, or person.

idiom
utter devotionabsolute loyalty

Examples

  • 赤胆忠心，。
    Tā duì guó jiā yí piàn chì dǎn zhōng xīn, cóng wèi dòng yáo guò.
    He has utter devotion to the country and has never wavered.
  • 赤胆忠心。
    Zhè wèi jiāng jūn yòng chì dǎn zhōng xīn yíng dé le shì bīng de zūn jìng.
    This general won the soldiers' respect through his absolute loyalty.
  • 赤胆忠心，。
    Péng you zhī jiān yě xū yào chì dǎn zhōng xīn, hù xiāng xìn rèn.
    Even between friends, wholehearted devotion and mutual trust are needed.

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.

赤胆red gallbladder
赤chìred胆dǎngallbladder
偏正Modifier + head
忠心loyal heart
忠zhōngloyal心xīnheart
偏正Modifier + head

赤胆 (red gallbladder) and 忠心 (loyal heart) together express utter devotion.

Characters in this word

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

赤 is a stylized form showing 大 (a person) and 火 (fire), depicting a person by a fire.

Open 赤 →

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
⺼Written in full as肉ròubody part
Sound part声符shēngfú
旦
旦dàn胆dǎn
Same sound today

胆 combines ⺼, written as 肉 when full, for a body part, with 旦 as a sound part.

Open 胆 →

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
中
中zhōng忠zhōng
Same sound today

忠 pairs 心, meaning heart, with 中, which gives its sound.

Open 忠 →

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

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

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