出师未捷身先死

出師未捷身先死

chū shī wèi jié shēn xiān sǐ

quotation

Meanings

1 marched out but died before victory
2 died before the campaign could succeed — a cause cut short by death

Characters

go out, set out

first, beforehand

Examples

诸葛亮出师未捷身先死，长使英雄泪满襟。

Zhūgěliàng chūshīwèijiéshēnxiānsǐ, chángshǐyīngxiónglèimǎnjīn.

Zhuge Liang died before his campaign could triumph — forever making heroes' tears soak their robes.

这位科学家出师未捷身先死，留下未完成的研究。

Zhèwèi kēxuéjiā chūshīwèijiéshēnxiānsǐ, liúxià wèiwánchéng de yánjiū.

This scientist died before his work could triumph, leaving research unfinished.

Tips

history

From Du Fu 杜甫's 《蜀相》 (Tang), about Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮: ‘出师未捷身先死，长使英雄泪满襟。’ (He set out to war but died before victory; forever it makes heroes' tears soak their robes.) Refers to Zhuge Liang dying at Wuzhang Plains during his fifth northern campaign against Wei.

usage

未捷 = not yet victorious. The line is a stock elegy for any leader or reformer whose project is interrupted by death.

Stroke Order

出 chū

师 shī

未 wèi

捷 jié

身 shēn

先 xiān

死 sǐ