推心置腹
- Literal
- to push out one's heart and place it in another's belly
- Figurative
- To treat someone with utter sincerity and trust, opening your heart to them without any reservation or pretense.
Where does 推心置腹 come from?
After defeating the Bronze Horse (Tongma) rebel army in Hebei, the future Emperor Guangwu, Liu Xiu, accepted the surrender of their troops. To dispel their suspicions, he had the surrendered commanders return to lead their own units, and he himself rode among them with only a light escort, showing complete trust. Moved, the surrendered soldiers said that "the King of Xiao had placed his sincere heart into their bellies — how could they not repay him with their lives?" His victory over the Bronze Horse earned him the nickname "Bronze Horse Emperor," and from that gesture of unreserved sincerity the saying was born.
Source (出处): 《后汉书》
How is 推心置腹 used? Two examples
- 我们是多年的好朋友，有什么话都可以推心置腹地说。
We've been good friends for years; whatever it is, we can say it to each other with complete openness.
- 经理跟我推心置腹地谈了一次，我才明白公司真正的难处。
The manager had a heart-to-heart talk with me, and only then did I understand the company's real difficulties.
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