Definition
光宗耀祖 is a four-character idiom (成语) meaning to bring glory to one's ancestors. It is used when someone achieves great success, earns high status, or does something remarkable that reflects positively on their entire family lineage. The phrase is deeply rooted in traditional Chinese values of filial piety and family honor, often appearing in contexts of academic, professional, or moral accomplishments. You can use it as a predicate or object, but it is not a verb in the usual grammatical sense — it is a fixed expression.
f.e.
to bring honor to one's ancestorsto be a credit to one's family line
Examples
- ，光宗耀祖。Tā tōngguò zìjǐ de nǔlì kǎoshàng le míngpái dàxué, zǒngsuàn guāng zōng yào zǔ le.Through his own hard work he got into a prestigious university, finally bringing honor to his ancestors.
- ，光宗耀祖。Zài gǔdài, dúshūrén kǎoqǔ gōngmíng jiùshì wèile guāng zōng yào zǔ.In ancient times, scholars studied for official titles precisely to bring glory to their ancestors.
- ，光宗耀祖。Cūn lǐ chū le yí ge dà qǐyèjiā, dàjiā dōu shuō tā guāng zōng yào zǔ le.A big entrepreneur came from the village, and everyone said he had honored his ancestors.
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