胯下之辱

kuàxiàzhīrǔ

idiom

Meanings

1 the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs
2 humiliation endured for a greater goal

Characters

(possessive particle)

Examples

HSK 3

韩信年轻时受过胯下之辱。

Hán Xìn niánqīng shí shòu guo kuàxiàzhīrǔ.

As a young man, Han Xin suffered the humiliation of crawling between a bully's legs.

HSK 6

大丈夫能忍胯下之辱，这点委屈算什么？

Dàzhàngfu néng rěn kuàxiàzhīrǔ, zhè diǎn wěiqu suàn shénme?

A real man can bear even crawling between a bully's legs; what's a small slight like this?

Tips

history

From the 史记: in 淮阴 a young butcher told the tall, sword-carrying 韩信 to stab him or crawl between his legs. Han Xin crawled, and the whole market laughed at him as a coward. He went on to become the general who won the empire for 刘邦, so the phrase stands for humiliation borne for the sake of a greater goal.

Stroke Order

胯 kuà

下 xià

之 zhī

辱 rǔ