慎终追远
shèn zhōng zhuī yuǎn
to mourn one’s parents with due care and remember one’s ancestors
Character by character
慎shèn
careful
careful
终zhōng
end
end
追zhuī
pursue
pursue
远yuǎn
distant
distant
Example
清明节回乡扫墓，体现的正是中国人慎终追远的传统。
Going home to sweep the graves at Qingming shows the Chinese tradition of honouring the dead and remembering one’s ancestors.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the Analects (《论语·学而》): 曾子曰：“慎终追远，民德归厚矣。” “Take care over the parents’ funerals and remember distant forebears, and the people’s virtue will grow strong.” Formal; used in speeches and writing about Qingming and family tradition.
Learn this in Lesson 44 · HSK 5–6: 白事与清明 (Funerals and remembering the dead)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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