身先士卒

shēnxiān-shìzú

idiom #50,948

Meanings

1 to charge ahead of one's troops
2 to lead by example; to be the first to act

Characters

body; personally

soldier; officer

Examples

HSK 7-9

这位将军身先士卒，深受部下爱戴。

Zhè wèi jiāngjūn shēnxiān-shìzú, shēnshòu bùxià àidài.

This general fought at the head of his troops and was deeply beloved by his men.

HSK 7-9

作为经理，他总是身先士卒，带头加班。

Zuòwéi jīnglǐ, tā zǒngshì shēnxiān-shìzú, dàitóu jiābān.

As manager, he always leads by example and is the first to work overtime.

HSK 7-9

疫情中，医护人员身先士卒，令人敬佩。

Yìqíng zhōng, yīhù rényuán shēnxiān-shìzú, lìngrén jìngpèi.

During the epidemic, medical staff led from the front - truly admirable.

Tips

history

From Sima Qian's 《史记·淮南衡山列传》 (Han dynasty): 当敌勇敢，常为士卒先 - 'facing the enemy bravely, always out in front of the soldiers.' The four-character form is crystallized in 《资治通鉴·隋纪》 of Yang Xuangan: 玄感每战，身先士卒.

usage

Now commonly applied to any leader - boss, team captain, cadre - who does the hard work themselves rather than just directing. The military flavor is still present and gives the idiom a forceful, admiring tone.

Stroke Order

身 shēn

先 xiān

士 shì

卒 zú