一掊土

yīpóutǔ

idiom

Meanings

1 a handful of earth
2 a grave, a mound of burial dirt
3 by extension, a paltry amount

Characters

scoop up by hand

Examples

英雄百年后，终归一掊土。

Yīngxióng bǎinián hòu, zhōng guī yī póu tǔ.

A hero, after his hundred years, comes at last to a mere handful of earth.

金银再多，死后不过一掊土。

Jīnyín zài duō, sǐhòu bùguò yī póu tǔ.

However much gold and silver you have, after death it's just a handful of dirt.

Tips

history

From 《史记·张释之列传》: 假令愚民取长陵一抔土… — 'suppose a foolish fellow took a handful of earth from the imperial tomb.' 掊 and 抔 are interchangeable here, both meaning 'to scoop up with the hands.' The phrase became a standard euphemism for a grave.

Stroke Order

一 yī

掊 póu

土 tǔ