Chinese idiom · 成语
海誓山盟
Meaning
Solemn vows of lasting devotion, especially between lovers.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary allusionAn earlier related expression, 'river pledges and mountain oaths,' appears in Sima Zhen's Tang commentary to the Records of the Grand Historian. It recalls the Han founding ruler's promise that the honors granted to his meritorious followers would endure, using the Yellow River and Mount Tai as images of immense permanence.
The modern form changes river to sea and rearranges the oath words. It is documented in Xin Qiji's Song lyric beginning Hao Ge Zhu Ren Jia, and later became strongly associated with lovers' promises. Such promises claim mountain-and-sea endurance; the idiom does not guarantee that the people making them will remain faithful.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
比起海誓山盟，她更看重每天实实在在的关心。
She values genuine everyday care more than grand promises of eternal love.
Usually romantic; can contrast solemn words with actual behavior.