临行密密缝

臨行密密縫

Lín xíng mì mì féng

quotation

Meanings

1 on the eve of his departure, she stitches close and tight
2 the mother's careful sewing before her son sets off
3 iconic image of maternal love from Meng Jiao's 游子吟

Characters

set off / travel

Examples

HSK 3

妈妈帮他整理行李，临行密密缝地反复检查。

Māma bāng tā zhěnglǐ xíngli, línxíngmìmìféng de fǎnfù jiǎnchá.

Mom helped pack his bags, checking everything over and over - sewing 'close and tight' on the eve of his departure.

HSK 7-9

临行密密缝，意恐迟迟归，这是每位母亲的心。

Línxíngmìmìféng, yìkǒngchíchíguī, zhè shì měi wèi mǔqīn de xīn.

Stitching close and tight before departure, fearing his late return - this is every mother's heart.

Tips

history

From Meng Jiao's (孟郊) Mid-Tang poem 游子吟 (Song of the Wandering Son): 慈母手中线，游子身上衣。临行密密缝，意恐迟迟归。谁言寸草心，报得三春晖。 The most famous Chinese poem about a mother's love. 密密 reduplication conveys painstaking closeness of the stitches - she sews tight so the garment will hold through however long he's gone.

usage

Always paired with the next line 意恐迟迟归. Standard elementary-school memorized poem. Often recited on Mother's Day and in filial contexts.

Stroke Order

临 lín

行 xíng

密 mì

缝 féng