高枕无忧

gāo zhěn wú yōu

  • Meaning

    Literal

    To sleep at ease with a fluffed pillow

    Usage

    Calm and unperturbed

  • Connotation

    Neutral

  • Usage Examples

    尽管取得了很大成就,日本对能源危机并不能高枕无忧 | Jǐnguǎn qǔdé le hěn dà chéngjiù, rìběn duì néngyuán wéijī bìng bù néng gāozhěnwúyōu
    Although they have made significant achievements, Japan cannot relax and disregard its environmental crisis
    [Source]

    中国经济高速发展,拥有了强大的国防力量,老百姓才能过上高枕无忧的生活 | Zhōngguó jīngjì gāosù fāzhǎn, yōngyǒu le qiángdà de guófáng lìliàng, lǎobǎixìng cái néng guò shàng gāozhěnwúyōu de shēnghuó
    It is only with China's rapid economic development and the achievement of a strong national defense force that the common people can sit back and relax
    [Source]

  • Equivalents

    English

    None

    Chinese

    None

  • Entry Notes

    This chengyu actually appears in its original source two separate times. The below story comes from one of the times it appears.

  • Origin

    《战国策》(Zhàn Gúo Cè, Strategies of the Warring States), a work which chronicled the Warring States Period (475 - 220 BC)

  • Story

    In the kingdom of 齐 (Qí) during the Warring States period (战国时期 | zhàn guó shí qī | 475 - 221 BC), there was a senior minister (丞相, chéng xiàng) named 孟尝君 (Mèng Cháng Jūn). 孟尝君 liked to meet different people and often invited them to live for relatively long amounts of time in his home. One day, he extended such an offer to a poor man named 冯谖 (Féng Xuān). 冯谖 accepted, and when 孟尝君 inquired as to which skills he had, 冯谖 replied that he had none at all. This caught 孟尝君 off guard, and he began to think that 冯谖 did not have much unique value.

    Later, 孟尝君 asked 冯谖 to go to the feudal city of 薛邑 (xuē yì) and collect debts on his behalf. 冯谖 went, but instead of collecting the debts, he cancelled them. The people there thought this was a sign of 孟尝君's generosity, and when 孟尝君 was later dismissed by the court, the people of 薛邑 greeted him with open arms. 孟尝君 realized that this wouldn't have been possible without 冯谖, and he told him as much.

    冯谖 wisely replied that a rabbit was never afraid of a hunter because it had many dens in which to hide, and that 孟尝君 only had the den of 薛邑 as a place of refuge. He offered to make two other safe spots for him.

    孟尝君 agreed, and so 薛邑 went to speak with the ruler of the state of 梁 (Liáng). He told him that if 孟尝君 were in his services, then his state would surely grow and flourish. Delighted, the ruler sent emissaries to speak with 孟尝君 — but behind the scenes, 冯谖 instructed 孟尝君 to refuse any contact with them.

    Meanwhile, the lord of 齐 heard the news that other states were attempting to recruit 孟尝君. Alarmed, the lord contacted 孟尝君, apologizing for dismissing him and asking him to return to service.

    And with that, 孟尝君 had three safe spots.

  • Citations and Helpful Resources

    • 汉语成语小词典 (hànyǔ chéngyǔ xiǎo cídiǎn)
    • 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn)
    • 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn)
    • 汉语大词典 (hànyǔ dà cídiǎn)
    • ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary
    • Pleco Basic Chinese-English Dictionary
    • 汉语大词典[x]
    • 百度百科[x]
    • 全故事网[x]
    • 成语 t086[x]