Chinese idiom · 成语
卧薪尝胆
Meaning
Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall; to endure hardship and self-discipline to achieve a goal or seek revenge.
Character by character
卧lie on
薪brushwood
尝taste
胆gall/bitterness
Origin and story
From Records of the Grand Historian. King Goujian of Yue slept on wood and tasted bitter gall every day to remind himself of his national humiliation until he eventually defeated his rival.