How do you use 先天下之忧而忧 in a sentence?
The mayor visited the flood shelter before going home, showing the spirit of putting others first, like “worrying before the world worries.”
市长先去看望水灾避难所的居民，后才回家，体现了“先天下之忧而忧”的精神。
Our principal always thinks first about student safety during a storm; that is a small school example of “worrying before the world worries.”
暴风雨来临时，校长总是先想到学生的安全，这正是校园里的“先天下之忧而忧”。
Fan Zhongyan wrote that a true official should worry before the people worry and enjoy comfort only after the people are at peace.
范仲淹写道，真正的官员应该“先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐”。
When does it fit — and when doesn't it?
✓ Fits
The doctor stayed overnight at the clinic during the outbreak because she cared more about the patients than her own rest; this truly shows “worrying before the world worries.”
疫情暴发时，这位医生整夜留在诊所，因为她把病人的安危看得比自己的休息更重要，这真正体现了“先天下之忧而忧”。
✗ Doesn't fit
I worried all week that my new video game might arrive late, so this is “worrying before the world worries.”
我担心了整整一周，怕我的新电子游戏到货太晚，这就是“先天下之忧而忧”。
Why?
The second sentence does not work because the idiom is about public duty and concern for others, not personal inconvenience or private desires.
第二句不合适，因为这个成语强调的是为大众分忧、先人后己，不是担心自己的小麻烦或个人愿望。
Common mistake
Using the idiom for any kind of worrying, even when the worry is only about oneself.
把这个成语随便用在任何“担心”的情况上，哪怕只是担心自己。
Correction
Use it only for people who take responsibility for others or the public and put common good before personal comfort.
这个成语应当用于那些为别人或社会负责、把公众利益放在个人安逸之前的人。
Why does this error happen?
The error happens because learners notice the word “worry” and forget that the idiom praises selfless public-minded character.
What do exams test about this idiom?
In PSLE or HSK-style questions, this idiom is usually tested for its moral meaning, historical source from Fan Zhongyan, and whether it suits a context about public responsibility rather than private worry.
小测验 · Quick Quiz
Test your understanding
1. What does 先天下之忧而忧 mean?
先天下之忧而忧是什么意思？
A person of duty worries about others before thinking of their own comfort, and only rejoices after others have had their joy
有责任感的人先为别人担忧，把大家的快乐放在自己的安乐之前
Someone who worries constantly and cannot enjoy anything, no matter how good the situation is
指一个人什么都放不下，无论情况多好都开心不起来
A leader who lets others carry the weight while staying calm and worry-free themselves
指让别人承担重担，自己保持平静不担心的领导者
2. When Fan Zhongyan wrote about the lake in rain, what did the young letter-carrier feel inside the study?
范仲淹写洞庭湖风雨时，书房里的少年有什么感受？
He felt a chill and pulled his collar closer, as if the storm were outside the window, even though it was just words on a page
他感到一阵寒意，把衣领拉紧，好像风雨真的吹进了书房，尽管那只是纸上的字
He fell asleep because the long day of delivering letters had tired him out
他太累了，送了一天的信，就在书房里睡着了
He grew excited and asked Fan Zhongyan to take him to see the real Yueyang Tower
他兴奋起来，请求范仲淹带他去看真正的岳阳楼
3. Which sentence uses 先天下之忧而忧 correctly?
哪个句子正确地使用了先天下之忧而忧？
The doctor stayed at the clinic all night during the outbreak because she cared more about the patients than her own rest. That is 先天下之忧而忧.
疫情期间，这位医生整夜守在诊所，因为她把病人的安危看得比自己的休息更重要，这正是先天下之忧而忧。
I worried all week that my new video game might arrive late. That is 先天下之忧而忧.
我担心了整整一周，怕我的新电子游戏到货太晚。这就是先天下之忧而忧。
Mia stayed up late practising her song because she was nervous about her own performance. That is 先天下之忧而忧.
米娅因为担心自己的表演，熬夜练歌到很晚。这就是先天下之忧而忧。
Answers: 1A · 2A · 3A