卧薪尝胆

1. • to sleep on brushwood and taste gall (like King Goujian of Yue 勾践 gōujiàn, in order to recall one's humiliations) (idiom)

     lit.

2. • to maintain one's resolve for revenge

     fig.

Character by character

• 卧(wò)lie
• 薪(xīn)firewood
• 尝(cháng)taste
• 胆(dǎn)gall bladder