lighter than a feather; death without value
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesidiom
to be lighter than a goose feather; (figurative) to die without value or significance
literaryDerived from Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (《史记》): '人固有一死，或重于泰山，或轻于鸿毛' (People naturally die once, either heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a goose feather). Often used in contrast with 重于泰山.
Sǐ死
yǒu有
zhòng重
yú于
Tài泰
Shān山
，
yǒu有
qīng轻
yú于
hóng鸿
máo毛
。
Some deaths are weightier than Mount Tai, while others are lighter than a goose feather.
Wèi为
le了
zhè这
diǎn点
xiǎo小
shì事
ér而
sǐ死
，
zhēn真
shi是
qīng轻
yú于
hóng鸿
máo毛
。
To die for such a trivial matter is truly a death without value.
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Wǒ我
men们
yào要
ràng让
zì自
jǐ己
de的
shēng生
mìng命
zhòng重
yú于
Tài泰
Shān山
，
ér而
bù不
shì是
qīng轻
yú于
hóng鸿
máo毛
。
We should make our lives weightier than Mount Tai, rather than lighter than a goose feather.