每天成语
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千里迢迢

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo
  • English Translation: From a great distance / Over a long journey
  • Idiom Composition: 「千」（Thousand; used metaphorically to mean a very large number.）＋「里」（Li (a Chinese unit of distance); refers to the road or journey.）＋「迢迢」（Distant or remote; a reduplicated adjective used in classical poetry to describe vast stretches of space or time.）
  • Meaning: Describing a journey from a very long distance away. It emphasizes not just the physical distance, but the effort, time, and dedication involved in traveling so far.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「千里迢迢」 contains the following nuances:

  • Emphasis on the Process: Unlike words that simply state two points are far apart, this idiom focuses on the act of traveling through that distance. It highlights the movement and the passage of time.
  • Implication of Effort: It often implies that the traveler has gone to great lengths, showing their sincerity, dedication, or the high importance of their mission.

3. Usage

「千里迢迢」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Visits and Arrivals: Most frequently used as a polite greeting to acknowledge the effort someone made to visit from a distant location.
    • Example:「感谢你千里迢迢赶来参加我的婚礼。」
      （Thank you for traveling from so far away to attend my wedding.)
  • Purposeful Travel: Used to describe traveling a long distance for a specific goal, such as education, work, or providing aid.
    • Example:「为了求学，他千里迢迢来到了北京。」
      （To pursue his studies, he traveled over a great distance to reach Beijing.)
  • Lyrical or Emotional Context: Used to poetically describe the physical separation from home or loved ones and the longing involved in the journey.
    • Example:「游子千里迢迢回到故乡，只为看一眼年迈的父母。」
      （The traveler returned to his hometown from a long journey just to see his elderly parents.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 这份礼物是我朋友千里迢迢从国外带回来的。
    （This gift was brought back from a great distance overseas by my friend.）
  2. 虽然路途千里迢迢，但为了见到偶像，粉丝们觉得一切都值得。
    （Although the journey was extremely long, the fans felt it was all worth it to see their idol.）
  3. 救援物资被千里迢迢运送到了灾区。
    （Relief supplies were transported over a vast distance to the disaster area.）
  4. 你不必千里迢迢跑这一趟，打个电话就行了。
    （You don't need to travel all this way; a phone call will suffice.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase appears in Ming Dynasty (明朝) short story collections such as *Stories to Caution the World* (警世通言) and *Stories Old and New* (古今小说) by Feng Menglong (冯梦龙).
  • The term 迢迢 (tiáo tiáo) is a classical reduplicated adjective representing remoteness. It is famously used in the *Nineteen Old Poems* (古诗十九首) to describe the distance of the stars in the Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend.
  • In modern Chinese, it remains a very common expression in both spoken and written language, often serving as a standard polite phrase to express gratitude to visitors.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

千里迢迢 (qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo) is used to highlight that someone has traveled a vast distance. It often carries a sense of appreciation for the effort made to arrive, or emphasizes the scale of a journey. It is commonly used when welcoming guests from afar or describing a long, arduous trek to reach a specific goal.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 2

Idiom Essay

qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo
千里迢迢
A Long and Arduous Journey
zài在dì tú地图shàng上，liǎng diǎn两点zhī jiān之间de的jù lí距离，tōng cháng通常zhǐ shì只是yí gè一个shù zì数字。

On a map, the distance between two points is usually just a number.

jǐ bǎi几百gōng lǐ公里，huò zhě或者jǐ qiān几千gōng lǐ公里。

A few hundred kilometers, or perhaps a few thousand.

dàn shì但是，dāng当wǒ men我们zhēn zhèng真正tà shàng踏上lǚ chéng旅程，qù去kuà yuè跨越zhè这duàn段jù lí距离shí时，nà ge那个shù zì数字jiù就biàn chéng变成le了yī zhǒng一种shí shí zài zài实实在在de的xīn kǔ辛苦。

However, when we actually set out on a journey to cross that distance, that number turns into a tangible hardship.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种màn cháng漫长ér而xīn kǔ辛苦de的lǚ chéng旅程，jiào叫“qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo千里迢迢”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe such a long and difficult journey called 千里迢迢.

zhè ge这个cí词dú读qǐ lái起来，jiù就yǒu有yī zhǒng一种mián yán bù jué绵延不绝de的gǎn jué感觉。

The way this word is read gives a sense of something continuous and unending.

“qiān lǐ千里”，shì是shuō说lù tú路途fēi cháng非常yuǎn远；ér而“tiáo tiáo迢迢”zhè这liǎng gè两个zì字，xíng róng形容de的shì是lù tú yáo yuǎn路途遥远、méi yǒu没有jìn tóu尽头de的yàng zi样子。

千里 means the road is very far, while the two characters 迢迢 describe a path that is distant and seems to have no end.

bǎ把tā men它们fàng放zài在yì qǐ一起，jiù就bù不zhǐ shì只是zài在miáo shù描述wù lǐ物理shàng上de的jù lí距离le了，tā它gèng更xiàng像shì是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种xīn qíng心情：lù路tài太zhǎng长le了，hǎo xiàng好像zěn me怎么zǒu走dōu都zǒu走bú dào不到tóu头。

Putting them together does more than just describe physical distance; it is more like describing a state of mind: the road is so long that it feels like it will never end.

bù guò不过，wǒ men我们shǐ yòng使用“qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo千里迢迢”de的shí hòu时候，zhòng diǎn重点wǎng wǎng往往bù不zài yú在于bào yuàn抱怨lù路yuǎn远，ér而zài yú在于qiáng diào强调——wèi le为了dào dá到达nà ge那个zhōng diǎn终点，wǒ我yuàn yì愿意fù chū付出zhè yàng这样de的dài jià代价。

However, when we use 千里迢迢, the focus is often not on complaining about the distance, but on emphasizing that I am willing to pay such a price to reach that destination.

shì zhe试着xiǎng xiàng想象zhè yàng这样yí gè一个chǎng jǐng场景：nǐ你de的yī wèi一位lǎo péng yǒu老朋友，bān搬dào到le了lìng另yí gè一个guó jiā国家。

Imagine a scene: an old friend of yours has moved to another country.

wèi le为了jiàn见tā他yí miàn一面，nǐ你zuò坐le了shí jǐ gè十几个xiǎo shí小时de的fēi jī飞机，zhuǎn转le了hǎo好jǐ cì几次chē车，bèi zhe背着chén zhòng沉重de的xíng lǐ行李，zhōng yú终于qiāo kāi敲开le了tā他de的mén门。

To see them, you take a flight for over ten hours, transfer several times, carry heavy luggage, and finally knock on their door.

dāng当péng yǒu朋友kàn dào看到nǐ你nà那yī liǎn一脸pí bèi疲惫de的yàng zi样子，tā他kě néng可能huì会gǎn dòng感动dì地shuō说：“nǐ你zhēn shì真是qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo千里迢迢dì地gǎn lái赶来le了。”

When your friend sees your exhausted face, they might say with emotion, "You really came 千里迢迢 to see me."

zài在zhè ge这个shí kè时刻，“qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo千里迢迢”jiù就bù不zhǐ shì只是yí gè一个xíng róng cí形容词le了，tā它biàn chéng变成le了yī zhǒng一种“chéng yì诚意”de的zhèng míng证明。

At this moment, 千里迢迢 is not just an adjective; it becomes a proof of sincerity.

rú guǒ如果wǒ men我们zhǐ shì只是qù去lóu xià楼下de的chāo shì超市mǎi dōng xī买东西，huò zhě或者qù去fù jìn附近de的gōng yuán公园sàn bù散步，wǒ men我们jué bù绝不huì会yòng用zhè ge这个cí词。

If we are just going to the supermarket downstairs or taking a walk in a nearby park, we would never use this word.

zhǐ yǒu只有dāng当mù dì dì目的地duì对nǐ你fēi cháng非常zhòng yào重要，huò zhě或者nà lǐ那里yǒu有nǐ你fēi cháng非常xiǎng jiàn想见de的rén人、fēi cháng非常xiǎng想zuò做de的shì事，zhè这duàn段màn cháng漫长de的jù lí距离cái才huì会yǒu有yì yì意义。

Only when the destination is very important to you, or there is someone you really want to see or something you really want to do there, does this long distance have meaning.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lǐ里qí shí其实cáng藏zhe着yī zhǒng一种hěn很shēn深de的qíng gǎn情感。

Therefore, this idiom actually hides a very deep emotion.

tā它gào sù告诉wǒ men我们：jù lí距离suī rán虽然ràng让rén人pí bèi疲惫，dàn但yě也zhèng shì正是yīn wèi因为zhè这duàn段jù lí距离，cái才xiǎn chū显出le了xiāng jù相聚de的zhēn guì珍贵。

It tells us that although distance is exhausting, it is precisely because of this distance that the reunion becomes precious.

xià cì下次，rú guǒ如果yǒu rén有人bù yuǎn wàn lǐ不远万里lái dào来到nǐ你de的chéng shì城市kàn看nǐ你，huò zhě或者nǐ你wèi le为了yí gè一个mù biāo目标kuà yuè跨越le了màn cháng漫长de的lù tú路途，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以yòng用“qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo千里迢迢”lái来xíng róng形容zhè这duàn段jīng lì经历。

Next time, if someone comes from far away to your city to see you, or if you cross a long path for a goal, you can use 千里迢迢 to describe the experience.

yīn wèi因为zài在zhè ge这个cí词de的bèi hòu背后，cáng藏zhe着yī jù一句qián tái cí潜台词：suī rán虽然lù路hěn很yuǎn远，dàn但wèi le为了nǐ你，wǒ我jué de觉得zhí de值得。

Because behind this word lies a subtext: although the road is far, for you, I feel it is worth it.

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