视死如归

視死如歸

shìsǐrúguī

idiom #36,699

Meanings

1 to look upon death as a return home
2 to face death without fear

Characters

to regard; to view

Examples

烈士们视死如归，令人敬佩。

Lièshìmen shìsǐrúguī, lìng rén jìngpèi.

The martyrs faced death without fear, commanding deep respect.

消防员视死如归地冲进了火场。

Xiāofángyuán shìsǐrúguī de chōngjìn le huǒchǎng.

The firefighter charged into the blaze without fear of death.

面对敌人的威胁，他视死如归，毫不退缩。

Miànduì dírén de wēixié, tā shìsǐrúguī, háo bù tuìsuō.

Faced with the enemy's threats, he treated death like going home, not flinching an inch.

Tips

history

Attested in 《韩非子·外储说左下》 and 《吕氏春秋·勿躬》: '三军之士，视死如归' — 'the soldiers of the three armies looked on death as a homecoming.' The 'homecoming' framing is what makes the idiom so powerful — death is merely a return, not a loss.

Stroke Order

视 shì

死 sǐ

如 rú

归 guī