死而后已

死而後已

sǐ'érhòuyǐ

idiom #73,643

Meanings

1 to carry on to the very end of one's life
2 to devote oneself until death
3 unto one's dying day

Characters

Examples

他为教育事业鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已。

Tā wèi jiàoyù shìyè jūgōngjìncuì, sǐ'érhòuyǐ.

He gave himself to education wholeheartedly, to his dying day.

我要为这个理想奋斗到死而后已。

Wǒ yào wèi zhège lǐxiǎng fèndòu dào sǐ'érhòuyǐ.

I will fight for this ideal until my last breath.

Tips

history

From 《论语·泰伯》: 士不可以不弘毅，任重而道远. 仁以为己任，不亦重乎？死而后已，不亦远乎？ — Zengzi on the scholar's lifelong burden of benevolence.

usage

Most famous in the pairing 鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已 ('to bow down and spend oneself unto death'), used of Zhuge Liang in his 《后出师表》.

Stroke Order

死 sǐ

而 ér

后 hòu

已 yǐ