The Chinese journey moves from characters to idioms. This free tool explores 「丹書白馬」, detailing its meaning and use.
For this session, we will be discussing the idiom 「丹書白馬」. See below for its meaning and practical usage.
When ancient emperors granted meritorious officials certificates that allowed them to enjoy hereditary titles and privileges such as immunity from punishment, they would slaughter a white horse and drink its blood to show their commitment to the oath. Later generations called this “red letter on a white horse.”
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
dān shū bái mǎ
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
daan1 syu1 baak6 ma5
Chinese idioms are incredibly numerous, each carrying a special meaning and usage. This variety is a great reason to study them, and we hope these tools make that easier for you.
