汗流浃背

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: hàn liú jiā bèi
• English Translation: Sweat streaming down one's back (drenched in sweat)
• Idiom Composition: 「汗」（Sweat）＋「流」（To flow or stream）＋「浃」（To soak, drench, or saturate thoroughly）＋「背」（The back）
• Meaning: To be so sweaty that one's clothes are soaked through to the back. While it often describes physical exertion or intense heat, it is also used metaphorically to describe breaking into a 'cold sweat' due to extreme fear, anxiety, or shame.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「汗流浃背」 contains the following nuances:

• Physical Sweating (Modern Usage): Describes the literal state of the body being drenched, especially the back, due to heat, hard labor, or sports. This is the most common usage in daily conversation today.
• Psychological Sweating (Classical/Figurative): Describes 'cold sweat' resulting from extreme tension, fear, or embarrassment. This aligns with the idiom's historical origin in the *Book of the Later Han* (后汉书).

3. Usage

「汗流浃背」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Physical Exertion or Labor: Used to objectively or positively describe someone working hard or exercising to the point of being covered in sweat.
  • Example:「工人们在烈日下干得汗流浃背。」
    （The workers were laboring under the scorching sun until they were drenched in sweat.）
• Extreme Tension or Fear: Used when someone is under immense mental pressure, such as being interrogated or facing a terrifying situation.
  • Example:「面对考官严厉的提问，他紧张得汗流浃背，一句话也说不出来。」
    （Facing the examiner's harsh questioning, he was so nervous that he broke into a cold sweat and couldn't say a word.）
• Intense Heat: Used to describe the discomfort of high temperatures where even slight movement causes sweating.
  • Example:「这几天持续高温，稍微动一下就汗流浃背。」
    （The high temperatures have persisted for days; you get soaked with sweat just by moving a little.）

Additional Examples:

1. 为了按时完成任务，大家忙得汗流浃背。
   （In order to complete the task on time, everyone worked busily until they were dripping with sweat.）
2. 想起刚才那惊险的一幕，我不禁汗流浃背。
   （Thinking back to that terrifying scene just now, I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.）
3. 他在健身房跑了一个小时，累得气喘吁吁，汗流浃背。
   （He ran for an hour at the gym and was panting, soaked to the bone with sweat.）
4. 被老师当众批评，他羞愧得汗流浃背。
   （Being criticized by the teacher in front of everyone, he was breaking out in a sweat from pure shame.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Historical Origin: This idiom comes from the *Book of the Later Han* (后汉书 - Hòu Hàn Shū). It originally described Empress Fu (伏皇后) during the Han Dynasty, who was so terrified when facing the powerful and intimidating warlord Cao Cao (曹操) that sweat soaked through her clothes to her back.
• Orthography Warning: The character 浃 (jiā) means 'to drench' or 'to saturate.' Because it looks very similar to 夹 (jiā), which means 'to sandwich' or 'to clip,' it is one of the most commonly misspelled characters in Chinese (often incorrectly written as 汗流夹背).
• Evolution of Meaning: While it began as a description of psychological terror, modern Chinese speakers use 汗流浃背 (hàn liú jiā bèi) much more frequently to describe the physiological result of hot weather or exercise.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 挥汗如雨 (huī hàn rú yǔ): Literally 'wiping off sweat like rain'; used to describe a large crowd of people or someone working extremely hard.
  • 大汗淋漓 (dà hàn lín lí): Dripping with sweat; usually refers to the physical state of being drenched after exertion.
  • 气喘吁吁 (qì chuǎn xū xū): Breathing heavily and rapidly, often due to physical exertion.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 从容镇定 (cóng róng zhèn dìng): Calm and collected; showing no signs of panic or agitation.
  • 神态自若 (shén tài zì ruò): To remain perfectly calm and composed as if nothing has happened.

6. Summary

汗流浃背 (hàn liú jiā bèi) literally describes a state where sweat flows so freely that it drenches the back. In modern contexts, it is the standard way to describe being **soaked with sweat** after exercise or in hot weather. However, it carries a classical nuance of 'cold sweat' triggered by psychological pressure. Learners should take care not to confuse the third character 浃 (jiā), meaning 'to soak,' with the similar-looking 夹 (jiā).