# 五体投地

wǔ tǐ tóu dì

Admire someone intensely

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Prostrate with five parts of the body touching ground

**Traditional Chinese:** 五體投地

**Register:** Admiring · emphatic

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Express complete admiration, often humorously.

Usually figurative in everyday speech.

## Understanding the expression

Full prostration makes respect visible through the whole body. Modern conversation borrows that gesture to express overwhelming admiration for skill, knowledge, or an achievement. It is often playful exaggeration rather than a literal bow. The object of admiration should be clear from context. The phrase praises intensely, but need not imply accepting every opinion the admired person holds or surrendering one's own judgment in unrelated matters of life.

## Examples

她的手艺让我五体投地。

### Traditional Chinese

她的手藝讓我五體投地。

tā de shǒu yì ràng wǒ wǔ tǐ tóu dì 。

Her craftsmanship makes me admire her completely.

我对他的耐心佩服得五体投地。

### Traditional Chinese

我對他的耐心佩服得五體投地。

wǒ duì tā de nài xīn pèi fú dé wǔ tǐ tóu dì 。

I am utterly impressed by his patience.

看完演出，观众佩服得五体投地。

### Traditional Chinese

看完演出，觀眾佩服得五體投地。

kàn wán yǎn chū ， guān zhòng pèi fú dé wǔ tǐ tóu dì 。

The audience was completely impressed by the performance.

你能背下全篇，我真是五体投地。

### Traditional Chinese

你能背下全篇，我真是五體投地。

nǐ néng bèi xià quán piān ， wǒ zhēn shì wǔ tǐ tóu dì 。

I am amazed that you can memorize the whole text.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%BA%94%E9%AB%94%E6%8A%95%E5%9C%B0)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=225&webMd=1&la=0)

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