CYChengyu Dictionary

Chengyu meaning

春蚕到死 (chūn cán dào sǐ)

devotion that continues until the very end

Plain Answer

Source: Tang poetry silkworm dedication line. Treated here as modern usage; read it first as a sentence-level judgment.

Core meaning: 春蚕到死 means devotion that continues until the very end: Used in literary or reflective contexts for selfless devotion, often with the fuller line 春蚕到死丝方尽.

Practice this meaning
Label
neutral / literary and reflective Chinese
Best objects
teacher dedication, register warning, meaning boundary
Do not use when
Do not use 春蚕到死 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 百折不挠 or the contrast points toward 好逸恶劳, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

Use: Use 春蚕到死 when the teacher dedication sentence shows the object, cause, and tone clearly. Avoid: Avoid 春蚕到死 when the sentence only sounds related, lacks evidence, or needs a plainer word.

teacher dedication人们常用春蚕到死来赞美老师一生奉献。Rénmen cháng yòng chūncán dàosǐ lái zànměi lǎoshī yīshēng fèngxiàn.People often use the silkworm image to praise a teacher's lifelong devotion.

Next: Read the examples, then compare 百折不挠 before practicing 春蚕到死 in the focused quiz.

Often studied with: 百折不挠, 天道酬勤, 闻鸡起舞

Read This First

春蚕到死 is introduced here through a modern usage entry rather than a fixed ancient anecdote; the source label is Tang poetry silkworm dedication line, and the page separates that background from modern sentence choice.

春蚕到死 means devotion that continues until the very end. The important first reading is Used in literary or reflective contexts for selfless devotion, often with the fuller line 春蚕到死丝方尽. This is a neutral phrase in normal use, so the sentence must show the judgment clearly.

Use 春蚕到死 when the object, cause, and tone match examples such as teacher dedication, register warning, meaning boundary; then compare 百折不挠 and 天道酬勤 before writing your own sentence.

Avoid 春蚕到死 when the sentence only shares a broad topic, when the tone would be unfair to the person being described, or when a plainer word would be clearer than a chengyu.

Start with this cue: teacher dedication plus a visible reason.

Meaning and Translation Notes

Used in literary or reflective contexts for selfless devotion, often with the fuller line 春蚕到死丝方尽.

Literal meaning

a spring silkworm spins silk until death

  • 春蚕 / spring silkworm
  • 到死 / until death
  • 丝 / silk or thread in the full line

English equivalents

  • devoted until the end plain

    Safest for explanation.

  • give oneself completely near

    Natural when praising selfless dedication.

  • keep giving until nothing is left plain

    Keeps the silkworm image visible.

How To Use It

Use 春蚕到死 when the reader can see why devotion that continues until the very end is the exact judgment, not just the topic. A strong sentence names the actor, the thing being judged, and the evidence that makes this idiom more precise than an ordinary adjective.

  • Use it for solemn praise of devotion, especially teachers, public service, or literary reflection.
  • It often recalls the fuller line 春蚕到死丝方尽, so the silk image should remain visible.
  • The tone is heavy and admiring, not casual encouragement.

Common Mistakes

Do not use 春蚕到死 for a scene that only shares one surface word with the meaning. If the problem is closer to 百折不挠 or the contrast points toward 好逸恶劳, choose that nearby entry instead of stretching this one.

  • Do not use it for ordinary overtime or routine effort.
  • Do not flatten it into hard work; the phrase carries sacrifice and devotion.

Wrong Use Clinic

The most useful check is often the phrase you should reject.

  1. The learner wants to sound more idiomatic but has only a broad topic match for 春蚕到死.

    The sentence drops in 春蚕到死 without showing the cause, object, or tone that would make the idiom necessary.

    Fix: Rewrite the sentence so the evidence for devotion that continues until the very end appears before or after the phrase.

    春蚕到死 fails in this case because a chengyu is not decoration; it must name the exact judgment the sentence is making.

    Compare bai zhe bu nao

  2. The learner wants to say the opposite or a neighboring idea and chooses 春蚕到死 because it feels familiar.

    The sentence uses 春蚕到死, but the described situation points to a different cause, time point, or social attitude.

    Fix: Compare the sentence with 好逸恶劳 and choose the phrase whose boundary explains the situation with less force.

    春蚕到死 becomes misleading when the nearby phrase would identify the real problem more cleanly.

    Compare hao yi wu lao

  3. The learner has the right meaning area for 春蚕到死 but ignores register and emotional force.

    The sentence uses 春蚕到死 directly about a person, yet gives no softening context or evidence for such a solemn and admiring judgment.

    Fix: Add the observed behavior first, or choose 天道酬勤 if the sentence needs a gentler learning path.

    春蚕到死 can sound heavier than a short English gloss. The reader needs enough context to see why the tone is fair.

    Compare tian dao chou qin

  4. The learner remembers the origin image of 春蚕到死 but applies it to the wrong object.

    The sentence names an image or story detail, but the real object being judged would be better explained by another chengyu.

    Fix: Name the object first. If the object points toward 好逸恶劳, use that contrast instead.

    春蚕到死 should follow the judgment, not the most memorable image. Story memory is useful only when it supports the sentence-level decision.

    Compare hao yi wu lao

Chengyu Often Studied Together

Use these clusters to build sentence-level judgment instead of memorizing a single gloss.

  1. 春蚕到死 with nearby learner choices

    春蚕到死 is often studied beside 百折不挠 and 天道酬勤 because the words share a theme while asking the learner to judge a different cause, tone, or timing.

    老师先让学生解释春蚕到死，再比较百折不挠和天道酬勤，这样不会只凭英文近义词选答案。

    bai zhe bu naotian dao chou qin

  2. 春蚕到死 with contrast checks

    春蚕到死 becomes easier to use when it is contrasted with 闻鸡起舞 and 好逸恶劳; the contrast forces the writer to decide whether the sentence is praise, warning, correction, or neutral description.

    写作练习里先用春蚕到死造句，再换成闻鸡起舞，观察判断方向怎样改变。

    wen ji qi wuhao yi wu laobai zhe bu nao

  3. 春蚕到死 in example-building drills

    春蚕到死 should be practiced with 百折不挠 and 闻鸡起舞 because examples reveal whether the learner is choosing by meaning, tone, or only by a remembered image.

    课堂上先用春蚕到死写一个有证据的句子，再换成百折不挠或闻鸡起舞说明判断为什么改变。

    bai zhe bu naowen ji qi wutian dao chou qin

  4. 春蚕到死 in story and source review

    春蚕到死 links best with 天道酬勤 and 好逸恶劳 when the learner is checking whether a source image truly supports a modern sentence.

    复习出处时，不要只背春蚕到死的故事，还要比较天道酬勤，看哪个成语更能解释现代句子。

    tian dao chou qinhao yi wu laobai zhe bu nao

Learner Guide

Use these notes when deciding whether this chengyu fits a real sentence.

Use 春蚕到死 when the sentence praises long, selfless devotion. It fits ceremonial praise, teacher appreciation, literary reflection, or a life of service. The phrase is not casual.

Devoted until the end is clear and respectful. Give oneself completely is natural when the person sacrifices for others. Keep giving until nothing is left preserves the silkworm image but should be used carefully because it sounds heavy.

Do not use it for ordinary hard work, late nights, or a busy week. 天道酬勤 and 水滴石穿 are better for normal diligence. 春蚕到死 implies solemn devotion and often sacrifice.

A strong sentence should explain the devotion. A teacher's lifetime of care, a doctor's long service, or a writer's lifelong commitment can support the phrase. Without that scale, the idiom sounds inflated.

Before using 春蚕到死, write the plain English idea first. If the plain sentence already says everything naturally, the chengyu must add a sharper judgment, cultural image, or tone. If it does not add one of those, leave the plain wording alone.

A good 春蚕到死 sentence contains an object and evidence. The object is the person, plan, habit, result, or scene being judged. The evidence is the reason the phrase fits. Without both parts, the idiom may look learned but feel empty.

Compare 春蚕到死 with 百折不挠 and 好逸恶劳 before finalizing a sentence. The goal is not to memorize synonyms; the goal is to reject the wrong phrase for a clear reason. That rejection is what turns recognition into usable knowledge.

When teaching or self-reviewing 春蚕到死, ask the learner to mark source, meaning, use case, wrong case, and one example. If any mark is missing, return to the entry section that supplies it rather than guessing from the headword alone.

teacher dedication is the first test zone for 春蚕到死, but it is not the only possible use. Before using the phrase, name the speaker, the object being judged, and the nearest tested context: teacher dedication, register warning, meaning boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary, comparison check, context setup, teacher correction. Then choose among devoted until the end, give oneself completely, keep giving until nothing is left as translation candidates and reject at least one candidate out loud. A useful final check is to compare the sentence with bai-zhe-bu-nao and tian-dao-chou-qin; if one of those nearby entries explains the situation with less strain, the nearby phrase is the better learner choice.

When 春蚕到死 is translated as devoted until the end, the English should still preserve the phrase's tone. Keep solemn and admiring and the effort use area visible when the audience is still learning the idiom. If a short translation hides the warning "Do not use it for ordinary overtime or routine effort.", choose a fuller English explanation instead. This matters because the strongest chengyu pages should help readers decide when not to use the most convenient English equivalent.

Example Sentences

Each example labels the situation so you can choose a natural English translation.

teacher dedication

人们常用春蚕到死来赞美老师一生奉献。

Rénmen cháng yòng chūncán dàosǐ lái zànměi lǎoshī yīshēng fèngxiàn.

People often use the silkworm image to praise a teacher's lifelong devotion.

register warning

这句话有很强的文学色彩，不能随便用来形容加班。

Zhè jù huà yǒu hěn qiáng de wénxué sècǎi, bùnéng suíbiàn yòng lái xíngróng jiābān.

This line has a strong literary tone and should not casually describe overtime.

meaning boundary

春蚕到死强调奉献，不只是努力时间长。

Chūncán dàosǐ qiángdiào fèngxiàn, bù zhǐshì nǔlì shíjiān cháng.

The phrase emphasizes devotion, not merely working for a long time.

usage boundary

只有原因和语气都清楚时，这句话才适合用春蚕到死。

zhi you yuan yin he yu qi dou qing chu shi zhe ju hua cai shi he yong chun can dao si

Only use 春蚕到死 when the cause and tone are both clear, not just because the topic feels nearby.

misuse boundary

如果只是普通情况，不要为了显得有文化而硬说春蚕到死。

ru guo zhi shi pu tong qing kuang bu yao wei le xian de you wen hua er ying shuo chun can dao si

If the situation is ordinary, do not force 春蚕到死 just to make the sentence sound more cultured.

comparison check

比较近义成语以后，再决定这里是不是应该写春蚕到死。

bi jiao jin yi cheng yu yi hou zai jue ding zhe li shi bu shi ying gai xie chun can dao si

After comparing nearby chengyu, decide whether 春蚕到死 is really the phrase the sentence needs.

context setup

这段话先说明对象和原因，所以春蚕到死读起来不突兀。

zhe duan hua xian shuo ming dui xiang he yuan yin suo yi chun can dao si du qi lai bu tu wu

The passage names the object and cause first, so 春蚕到死 does not feel abrupt.

teacher correction

老师让学生先解释为什么不用别的词，再用春蚕到死造句。

lao shi rang xue sheng xian jie shi wei shen me bu yong bie de ci zai yong chun can dao si zao ju

The teacher asks students to explain why another phrase would be wrong before writing a sentence with 春蚕到死.

Story and Cultural Context

春蚕到死 points to the well-known poetic image of the silkworm whose thread is not exhausted until death. In modern use, it often appears in praise of teachers or selfless dedication, but the tone is solemn. English speakers should not treat it as a normal phrase for working hard. The image suggests giving oneself over time, sometimes with sacrifice. That makes it powerful in ceremonial praise and too heavy for casual productivity talk. The silkworm image carries tenderness and exhaustion at the same time. The worm gives silk until the end, which makes the phrase suitable for solemn praise but risky for casual workplace language. English speakers should hear the register before copying it. It is often used for teachers and people who give themselves to a cause, but it can sound excessive if the situation is only routine effort. For this entry, the origin note is only the beginning of the explanation. The useful question is why 春蚕到死 survived as a portable judgment rather than as a decorative allusion. The modern usage route gives the reader an image, but the modern sentence must still prove its own fit. A learner should ask three things: what concrete object is being judged, what evidence in the sentence supports that judgment, and what tone the phrase adds that a plain English adjective would not add. This is why the page tests 春蚕到死 through teacher dedication, register warning, meaning boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary; each context changes the pressure on the phrase and shows whether the idiom is acting as praise, warning, neutral description, or criticism. The story or usage background also has a translation boundary. 春蚕到死 can point toward devoted until the end, give oneself completely, keep giving until nothing is left, but those English choices are not interchangeable. One version may preserve the image, another may sound natural in a classroom answer, and another may be safer in a workplace or essay sentence. The entry therefore treats public references as source cards, not as a paragraph order to imitate. Headword checks, story labels, and English equivalents are separated first; only after that are they rebuilt into the learner path used here: answer, label, examples, wrong-use clinic, comparison, story, and practice. The most common failure is overextension. Because 春蚕到死 has a memorable surface, learners may reach for it whenever a topic feels close. The better habit is to compare it with 百折不挠 and 天道酬勤 and with 好逸恶劳 before writing. If the rejected phrase is hard to reject, the sentence probably has not supplied enough evidence. If the rejected phrase is easy to reject, the learner can explain the boundary and use 春蚕到死 with confidence. That is the practical purpose of the origin section: it turns cultural memory into a sentence-level decision instead of leaving the reader with a story and no next action.

Learning point: Some effort language praises not speed or skill, but a life of giving.

Editorial Notes

These notes turn the entry into a decision path, not a loose definition.

First answer before details

春蚕到死 should first be read as a decision about devotion that continues until the very end, not as a collectible story label. The usage history helps memory, but the reader's real task is to decide whether the modern sentence is making a neutral judgment with enough evidence. Start with the object being described, then ask what happened, who is being judged, and whether the tone is fair. If those details are missing, the idiom will feel like learned decoration rather than useful Chinese. This first-answer rule also helps teachers and translators: they can explain the phrase quickly before deciding whether a longer story, comparison, or correction block is needed.

Example clinic

The examples for 春蚕到死 deliberately cover teacher dedication, register warning, meaning boundary, usage boundary, misuse boundary because a learner needs more than one successful sentence before the phrase becomes usable. Read the Chinese sentence, then explain in plain English why this phrase is more precise than a simple adjective or loose translation. A strong example names the context, shows the evidence, and makes the tone visible. A weak example merely places the chengyu near a related topic. This habit prevents a common error: remembering the literal image but forgetting the social judgment carried by the phrase. When the example feels forced, return to the meaning line and choose a plainer wording.

Comparison boundary

Before using 春蚕到死, compare it with 百折不挠 and 天道酬勤 and, when possible, with 好逸恶劳. The comparison is not a synonym game. Nearby chengyu often share effort, caution, wisdom, or evaluation as a topic, while differing in cause, timing, and emotional force. A good learner sentence can explain why the rejected phrase fails. If that explanation is impossible, the chosen idiom is probably too loose. This is also the cleanest internal-link reason: the next page exists because it helps the reader reject a tempting but wrong choice. The comparison should leave a reusable rule, not merely another link to click.

Wrong-use trigger

春蚕到死 should be rejected when the sentence lacks an object, hides the reason for the judgment, or uses the idiom only because it sounds literary. The safest correction is to rewrite the sentence in plain English first, then add the chengyu only if it sharpens the meaning. If the tone becomes unfair, choose a gentler nearby phrase. If the source image is memorable but the modern object does not match, use the story only as background and do not force the idiom into the sentence. This wrong-use trigger is what keeps the entry from becoming a long but vague dictionary page.

Source synthesis note

春蚕到死 uses public references as checkpoints rather than as a structure to copy. One source may help with the headword, another with a story or image, and another with English translation range. The page then rebuilds those checks into its own learner order: short answer, label, examples, misuse, collocation, guide, story, and practice. This matters because a single-source paraphrase would give readers a familiar-looking article but not a better learning tool. The editorial value here is the decision path: what to use, what not to use, what to compare, and how to test the phrase in a new sentence.

Practice This Decision

Answer a focused quiz question, then come back to the examples and misuse clinic if the near phrase feels tempting.

Start focused quizReview mistakes first