Chinese idiom · 成语
鞠躬尽瘁
Meaning
To bow and give all; to serve with total dedication.
Character by character
Origin and story
Classical expressions and attributed memorialThe two halves have older classical roots. The Analects describes Confucius bending respectfully when entering a ruler's gate; the Shijing's Beishan speaks of people exhausting themselves in state service while others rest. Together the words convey reverent, unstinting dedication.
The idiom is especially associated with the Later Memorial on Dispatching Troops, traditionally attributed to Zhuge Liang. The version cited in the Sanguozhi commentary says 鞠躬尽力, followed by a pledge to stop only at death, while admitting that success and failure cannot be fully predicted. Later usage favors 尽瘁 and turns the expression into solemn praise for a lifetime of conscientious service.
In everyday life
退休仪式上，大家感谢老校长几十年来为乡村教育鞠躬尽瘁。
At the retirement ceremony, everyone thanked the longtime principal for decades of tireless dedication to rural education.
Solemn, high praise for sustained service; too weighty for a routine small favor.