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死心塌地

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: sǐ xīn tā dì
  • English Translation: To be dead set on something (wholeheartedly devoted)
  • Idiom Composition: 「死心」（To give up other desires or hopes; to settle one's mind by "killing" off other options.）＋「塌地」（Literally "to sink into the ground," describing a state of being steady, firm, or settled.）
  • Meaning: To completely abandon all other options or doubts and commit one's heart entirely to a single idea, person, or cause. Depending on the context, it can describe unwavering loyalty and love or stubbornness and blind obedience.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「死心塌地」 contains the following nuances:

  • Absence of Doubt: As the literal meaning of 死心 (sǐ xīn) suggests, the idiom emphasizes cutting off all lingering attachments to other possibilities or "killing" any second thoughts.
  • Dual Connotation: The term is neutral in its core but takes on color from the context. Devotion to a loved one or a noble cause is seen as positive (unwavering), while devotion to a criminal or a flawed ideology is seen as negative (stubborn or misguided).

3. Usage

「死心塌地」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Love and Loyalty (Positive/Neutral): Used to describe someone who is completely devoted to a partner or leader, with no intention of betrayal or looking elsewhere.
    • Example:「自从遇见她之后，他就死心塌地地爱上了她，再也不看别的女孩一眼。」
      （Since meeting her, he has been head over heels in love and hasn't looked at another girl since.)
  • Blind Obedience or Stubbornness (Negative): Used to criticize the foolishness of someone who continues to follow a wrong path or a bad person without question.
    • Example:「那些手下死心塌地地跟着那个骗子，结果全都进了监狱。」
      （Those henchmen blindly followed that swindler, and in the end, they all landed in prison.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 不管别人怎么劝，他都死心塌地要辞职去创业。
    （No matter how others tried to persuade him, he was dead set on resigning to start his own business.）
  2. 这只狗对主人死心塌地，无论走到哪里都紧紧跟随。
    （This dog is wholeheartedly devoted to its owner and follows him closely wherever he goes.）
  3. 要想让员工死心塌地为你工作，首先要尊重他们。
    （If you want your employees to be fully committed to working for you, you must first respect them.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Evolution of Meaning: Originally, the phrase carried a stronger nuance of "giving up hope" or "resigning oneself to fate." In modern usage, the emphasis has shifted toward "firmness of resolve" and "total commitment."
  • Usage Note: While some traditional dictionaries categorize 死心塌地 (sǐ xīn tā dì) as derogatory, in modern colloquial Chinese, it is frequently used to describe being "smitten" or "totally devoted" in a romantic or professional sense, often carrying a tone of admiration or envy.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 死心塌地 (sǐ xīn tā dì) describes a state where a person has discarded all other possibilities to focus entirely on one target. In relationships or matters of loyalty, it is often used positively to mean being "wholeheartedly devoted." However, it can also be used negatively to describe "blindly following" a bad influence or being "dead set" on a mistake. The English translation varies from "head over heels" to "stubbornly committed" depending on the situation.

Idiom Essay

sǐ xīn tā dì
死心塌地
Unwavering Devotion
wǒ men我们zài在zuò做jué dìng决定de的shí hòu时候，tōng cháng通常xǐ huān喜欢gěi给zì jǐ自己liú留yī tiáo一条hòu lù后路。

When making decisions, we usually like to leave ourselves a way out.

rú guǒ如果zhè ge这个bù xíng不行，wǒ我jiù就huàn换nà ge那个；rú guǒ如果zhè lǐ这里zǒu走bù tōng不通，wǒ我jiù就qù去bié de别的dì fāng地方。

If this doesn't work, I'll switch to that; if this path is blocked, I'll go somewhere else.

zhè这shì是yī zhǒng一种zì wǒ bǎo hù自我保护de的běn néng本能。

This is a self-protection instinct.

dàn shì但是，yǒu shí hòu有时候nǐ你huì会jìn rù进入lìng另yī zhǒng一种zhuàng tài状态：nǐ你bǎ把suǒ yǒu所有de的“hòu lù后路”dōu都qiē duàn切断le了，rèn zhǔn认准le了yí gè rén一个人，huò zhě或者yī jiàn一件shì事，nǎ pà哪怕qián miàn前面hěn很nán难，nǐ你yě也jué duì绝对bù不huí tóu回头。

However, sometimes you enter a different state: you cut off all your escape routes and commit to one person or one thing, and even if the road ahead is difficult, you never look back.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种“wán quán完全rèn dìng认定、jué bù绝不dòng yáo动摇”de的xīn tài心态，jiào叫“sǐ xīn tā dì死心塌地”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this state of mind of being completely committed and unshakeable, called 死心塌地.

zhè ge这个cí词tīng qǐ lái听起来yǒu diǎn有点zhòng重。

This term sounds a bit heavy.

“sǐ xīn死心”，zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看shì是“xīn心sǐ死le了”。

死心 literally looks like the heart has died.

dàn但zài在zhè lǐ这里，tā它bú shì不是shuō说jué wàng绝望，ér shì而是shuō说——nǐ你nà那kē颗xiǎng yào想要xún zhǎo寻找qí tā其他jī huì机会de的xīn心，sǐ死diào掉le了；nǐ你nà zhǒng那种xiǎng yào想要gǎi biàn改变de的xiǎng fǎ想法，xiāo shī消失le了。

But here, it doesn't mean despair; it means that the part of your heart that wants to look for other opportunities has died, and the desire to change has vanished.

shèng xià剩下de的，jiù shì就是“tā dì塌地”，xiàng像zhòng wù重物luò dì落地yī yàng一样，wěn wěn dì稳稳地tíng liú停留zài在yuán dì原地。

What remains is 塌地, which is like a heavy object landing on the ground, staying firmly in place.

wǒ men我们huì会zài在shén me什么qíng jìng情境xià下yòng用dào到tā它ne呢？

In what context do we use it?

zuì最cháng jiàn常见de的shì是zài在gǎn qíng感情lǐ里。

It is most commonly used in relationships.

dāng当yí gè一个rén人duì对lìng另yí gè一个rén人“sǐ xīn tā dì死心塌地”shí时，yì wèi zhe意味着tā他bù zài不再kàn看bié rén别人yī yǎn一眼。

When someone is 死心塌地 toward another person, it means they no longer look at anyone else.

bù guǎn不管duì fāng对方yǒu有shén me什么quē diǎn缺点，huò zhě或者zhōu wéi周围yǒu有duō shǎo多少yòu huò诱惑，tā他dōu都xiàng像tiě le xīn铁了心yī yàng一样，zhǐ只rèn zhǔn认准zhè这yí gè rén一个人。

No matter what flaws the other person has or how many temptations are around, they are determined to stick with that one person.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，tā它yě也yòng lái用来xíng róng形容yī zhǒng一种zhuī suí追随。

Sometimes, it is also used to describe a sense of following.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个yuán gōng员工yù dào遇到le了yī wèi一位fēi cháng非常zhí de值得zūn jìng尊敬de的lǐng dǎo领导，nǎ pà哪怕gōng sī公司yù dào遇到kùn nán困难，fā发bù不chū出gōng zī工资，tā他yě也yuàn yì愿意liú xià留下lái来bāng máng帮忙。

For example, if an employee meets a very respectable leader, even if the company faces difficulties and cannot pay salaries, they are willing to stay and help.

zhè shí hòu这时候，wǒ men我们jiù就huì会shuō说，tā他shì是“sǐ xīn tā dì死心塌地”dì地gēn zhe跟着zhè wèi这位lǐng dǎo领导。

In this case, we would say they are following this leader 死心塌地.

dāng rán当然，zhè ge这个cí词bìng并bù不zǒng shì总是yòng lái用来zàn měi赞美。

Of course, this word is not always used for praise.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，rú guǒ如果yí gè一个rén人tài太gù zhí固执，huò zhě或者máng mù盲目dì地xiāng xìn相信yí gè一个bù zhí dé不值得de的rén人，bié rén别人yě也huì会tàn zhe qì叹着气shuō说：“nǐ你zěn me怎么jiù就zhè me这么sǐ xīn tā dì死心塌地ne呢？”

Sometimes, if a person is too stubborn or blindly trusts someone unworthy, others might sigh and say, "Why are you so 死心塌地?"

suǒ yǐ所以，“sǐ xīn tā dì死心塌地”miáo shù描述de的bú shì不是duì cuò对错，ér shì而是yī zhǒng一种chéng dù程度。

Therefore, 死心塌地 describes a degree of intensity rather than right or wrong.

tā它shì是yī zhǒng一种jí dù极度chún cuì纯粹de的tóu rù投入。

It is an extremely pure form of commitment.

zài在zhè ge这个chōng mǎn充满xuǎn zé选择hé和biàn huà变化de的shí dài时代，dà duō shù大多数rén人de的xīn心shì是fú dòng浮动de的，jīn tiān今天xǐ huān喜欢zhè ge这个，míng tiān明天kě néng可能jiù就biàn变le了。

In this era full of choices and changes, most people's hearts are floating; they like this today and might change tomorrow.

yīn cǐ因此，dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到“sǐ xīn tā dì死心塌地”zhè ge这个cí词shí时，nǐ你yào要zhī dào知道，tā它dài biǎo代表le了yī zhǒng一种bǎ把“qí tā其他suǒ yǒu所有kě néng xìng可能性”dōu都guān关zài在mén wài门外de的jué xīn决心。

So, when you hear the term 死心塌地, you should know it represents a determination to shut the door on all other possibilities.

nà zhǒng那种gǎn jué感觉jiù shì就是：wǒ我yǐ jīng已经xuǎn选hǎo好le了，wǒ我bù不zǒu走le了，jiù shì就是zhè lǐ这里le了。

That feeling is: I have made my choice, I am not leaving, this is it.

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