士可杀不可辱
shì​kě​shā​bù​kě​rǔ

death before dishonor

  • created sense approved 士可杀不可辱/士可殺不可辱 · shì​kě​shā​bù​kě​rǔ · death before dishonor — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    士可杀不可辱 / 士可殺不可辱

    shì​kě​shā​bù​kě​rǔ

    death before dishonor

    a scholar-official or person of high principles would rather die than be humiliated; describes having the integrity to sacrifice one's life rather than submit to disgrace

    shì​kě​shā​bù​kě​rù

    士 (literal) → 士 · shì · scholar 可 (literal) → 可 · kě · can 杀 (literal) → 杀/殺 · shā · to kill 不 (literal) → 不 · bù · not 可 (literal) → 可 · kě · can 辱 (literal) → 辱 · rǔ · to insult

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense