刻骨铭心

刻骨銘心

kègǔ-míngxīn

idiom #26,902

Meanings

1 etched in one's memory
2 deeply engraved on one's heart
3 unforgettable

Characters

to carve; to engrave

to inscribe; inscription

Examples

那段经历让她刻骨铭心，终身难忘。

Nàduàn jīnglì ràng tā kègǔmíngxīn, zhōngshēn nánwàng.

That experience was etched deeply in her heart and impossible to forget for life.

他们的爱情刻骨铭心。

Tāmen de àiqíng kègǔmíngxīn.

Their love was deeply engraved in their hearts.

Tips

memory

刻 = 'to engrave,' 骨 = 'bone,' 铭 = 'to inscribe' (as in a metal inscription), 心 = 'heart.' The idiom pictures something so profound it is carved into your bones and inscribed on your heart.

Stroke Order

刻 kè

骨 gǔ

铭 míng

心 xīn