4 characters Idiom and proverb 5 574

We’re sharing free Chinese learning content with you. Idioms and proverbs, full of meaning, are explored in this series. Today, we present 「功高震主」.

Today’s spotlight is on the Chinese idiom 「功高震主」. You’ll find its explanation and usage below.

Gong: merit, achievement; Zhen: shock, awesome; Zhu: monarch. The great achievements shocked the monarch and made him doubtful.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

gōng gāo zhèn zhǔ

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

gung1 gou1 jan3 jyu2

Chinese idioms are vast in number, each carrying unique meanings and usages. With such variety, there’s a lot to learn and appreciate. Hopefully, these resources will aid you on your journey to mastering Chinese.