身先士卒

shēnxiānshìzú

idiom #50,948

Meanings

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

Characters

body; personally

soldier; officer

Examples

这位将军身先士卒，深受部下爱戴。

Zhè wèi jiāngjūn shēnxiānshìzú, shēn shòu bùxià àidài.

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

作为经理，他总是身先士卒，带头加班。

Zuòwéi jīnglǐ, tā zǒngshì shēnxiānshìzú, dàitóu jiābān.

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

疫情中，医护人员身先士卒，令人敬佩。

Yìqíng zhōng, yīhù rényuán shēnxiānshìzú, lìng rén 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