每天成语
background texture
< 心有灵犀不三不四 >

灵机一动

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: líng jī yī dòng
  • English Translation: A sudden brainwave (a flash of inspiration)
  • Idiom Composition: 「灵机」（cleverness, wit, or a divine spark of intelligence）＋「一」（once or a brief moment (indicating suddenness)）＋「动」（to move, stir, or be activated）
  • Meaning: To suddenly have a clever idea or a solution to a problem. It describes a moment of quick wit or resourcefulness, especially when facing a dilemma or a deadlock.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「灵机一动」 contains the following nuances:

  • Suddenness of Thought: It emphasizes that the idea is not the result of long, painful deliberation, but rather a spontaneous spark that arrives in an instant.
  • The Key to a Solution: It is frequently used in contexts where there is a specific challenge or obstacle that needs to be overcome.
  • Mental Agility: The term suggests that the person has a sharp mind and the ability to adapt flexibly to changing circumstances.

3. Usage

「灵机一动」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Problem Solving: Most commonly used when a person suddenly finds a way out of a stuck or difficult situation.
    • Example:「面对这个难题，他突然灵机一动，想到了一个绝妙的办法。」
      （Facing this difficult problem, he suddenly had a brainwave and thought of a brilliant solution.)
  • Quick Excuses: Used when someone quickly thinks of a clever (sometimes slightly cunning) way to avoid trouble.
    • Example:「为了不被老师责骂，小明灵机一动，编了个理由。」
      （To avoid being scolded by the teacher, Xiao Ming used his quick wit to make up an excuse.)
  • Creative Inspiration: Used when a creative idea or project concept suddenly comes to mind in daily life.
    • Example:「看着窗外的雨，她灵机一动，决定画一幅雨景图。」
      （Looking at the rain outside, she had a sudden inspiration and decided to paint a rainy landscape.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 就在大家一筹莫展的时候，他灵机一动，打破了僵局。
    （Just when everyone was at their wit's end, he had a flash of inspiration and broke the deadlock.）
  2. 虽然只是灵机一动的主意，没想到效果这么好。
    （Although it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea, I didn't expect it to work so well.）
  3. 遇到突发状况不要慌张，只要冷静下来，总会灵机一动的。
    （Don't panic when encountering an emergency; as long as you stay calm, a good idea will come to you.）
  4. 那个发明源于他在洗澡时的一次灵机一动。
    （That invention originated from a sudden brainwave he had while taking a shower.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty (清) novel A Tale of Loyal and Filial Heroes (儿女英雄传 - Érnǚ Yīngxióng Zhuàn), where it describes a character suddenly realizing a truth after a moment of hesitation.
  • In modern Chinese, this is an extremely common expression used in both formal writing and casual conversation. It is applicable to everything from serious business breakthroughs to lighthearted daily anecdotes.
  • While it stands in contrast to deep deliberation or 深思熟虑 (shēn sī shú lǜ), it is generally viewed as a positive trait of 'mental reflex' rather than shallowness.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

灵机一动 (líng jī yī dòng) describes the moment a brilliant idea or solution suddenly strikes. It highlights the concept of "quick wit" and is often used positively to describe someone breaking a deadlock or finding a creative way out of a situation. While usually a compliment for intelligence, it can occasionally refer to a spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment thought.

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

Idiom Essay

líng jī yī dòng
灵机一动
A Sudden Inspiration
shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们cháng cháng常常huì会yù dào遇到yī zhǒng一种kǎ zhù卡住de的shí kè时刻。

In life, we often encounter moments when we feel stuck.

nǐ你kě néng可能zhèng zài正在xiě写yī piān一篇wén zhāng文章，xiě dào写到yí bàn一半，sī lù思路tū rán突然zhōng duàn中断，bù不zhī dào知道xià下yī jù一句gāi该zěn me怎么jì xù继续；yě也kě néng可能shì是zài在chǔ lǐ处理yí gè一个má fán麻烦de的wèn tí问题，fǎn fù反复sī kǎo思考，què却shǐ zhōng始终zhǎo bú dào找不到hé shì合适de的bàn fǎ办法。

You might be writing an article and suddenly lose your train of thought halfway through, unsure how to continue; or you could be dealing with a difficult problem, thinking over it repeatedly but never finding the right solution.

nà zhǒng那种gǎn jué感觉，jiù就xiàng像nǎo zi脑子bèi被shén me什么dǔ zhù堵住le了yī yàng一样，míng míng明明zài在yùn zhuàn运转，què却shǐ zhōng始终zhuǎn转bù不chū lái出来jié guǒ结果。

That feeling is like your mind is blocked by something, clearly working but unable to produce a result.

kě shì可是，yǒu shí hòu有时候，zhuǎn jī转机lái de来得hěn很tū rán突然。

However, sometimes a breakthrough comes unexpectedly.

yě xǔ也许shì是zài在nǐ你zhǔn bèi准备fàng qì放弃de的shí hòu时候，yě xǔ也许shì是zài在nǐ你zàn shí暂时bǎ把wèn tí问题fàng dào放到yī biān一边de的shí hòu时候，nǎo hǎi脑海lǐ里hū rán忽然shǎn guò闪过yí gè一个niàn tou念头。

Maybe it's when you're about to give up, or when you temporarily set the problem aside, and suddenly a thought flashes through your mind.

méi yǒu没有fù zá复杂de的tuī lǐ推理，méi yǒu没有màn cháng漫长de的sī kǎo思考，zhǐ shì只是yī shùn jiān一瞬间，nǐ你jiù就zhǎo dào找到le了dá àn答案。

No complicated reasoning, no long reflection, just in an instant, you find the answer.

zhè zhǒng这种shùn jiān瞬间，zài在zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常shēng dòng生动de的chéng yǔ成语，jiào zuò叫做“líng jī yī dòng灵机一动”。

This kind of moment is vividly described in Chinese by the idiom “灵机一动”.

“líng jī灵机”kě yǐ可以lǐ jiě理解wèi为yī zhǒng一种líng huó灵活ér而mǐn ruì敏锐de的sī wéi思维zhuàng tài状态，shì是dà nǎo大脑zuì最huó yuè活跃、zuì最yǒu有fǎn yìng lì反应力de的nà那yī bù fèn一部分；ér而“yī dòng一动”，qiáng diào强调de的shì是nà ge那个guān jiàn关键de的shùn jiān瞬间。

“灵机” can be understood as a flexible and sharp state of mind, the most active and responsive part of the brain; while “一动” emphasizes that crucial instant.

bú shì不是màn màn慢慢xiǎng想chū lái出来de的，ér shì而是tū rán突然chū xiàn出现de的。

It’s not something slowly figured out, but something that appears suddenly.

suǒ yǐ所以，“líng jī yī dòng灵机一动”miáo shù描述de的，bú shì不是nǔ lì努力de的guò chéng过程，ér shì而是líng gǎn灵感chū xiàn出现de的nà那yī kè一刻。

Therefore, “灵机一动” describes not the process of effort, but the moment when inspiration strikes.

zhè zhǒng这种qíng kuàng情况，wǎng wǎng往往fā shēng发生zài在méi yǒu没有shí jiān时间zǐ xì仔细sī kǎo思考de的shí hòu时候。

This often happens when there is no time for careful thought.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你zài在tái shàng台上jiǎng huà讲话，tū rán突然wàng忘le了yuán běn原本zhǔn bèi准备hǎo好de的nèi róng内容，jiù就zài在yī shùn jiān一瞬间，nǐ你xiǎng dào想到yí gè一个xīn新de的shuō fǎ说法，bù jǐn不仅huà jiě化解le了gān gà尴尬，fǎn ér反而ràng让qì fēn气氛biàn dé变得gèng更zì rán自然；yòu又bǐ rú比如，zài在jǐn jí紧急qíng kuàng情况xià下，nǐ你xùn sù迅速xiǎng dào想到yí gè一个jiǎn dān简单què却yǒu xiào有效de的bàn fǎ办法，wèn tí问题yě也yīn cǐ因此dé dào得到jiě jué解决。

For example, when you are speaking on stage and suddenly forget what you prepared, in that instant you think of a new way to say it, which not only resolves the awkwardness but makes the atmosphere more natural; or in an emergency, you quickly come up with a simple but effective solution, and the problem is solved.

zhè xiē这些dōu都bú shì不是shì xiān事先jì huà计划hǎo好de的，ér shì而是dāng xià当下chǎn shēng产生de的fǎn yìng反应。

These are not pre-planned but spontaneous reactions.

zhè这yě也shì是“líng jī yī dòng灵机一动”de的zhòng yào重要tè diǎn特点。

This is also an important feature of “灵机一动”.

tā它bú shì不是lái zì来自chóng fù重复liàn xí练习，ér shì而是lái zì来自sī wéi思维de的líng huó xìng灵活性。

It does not come from repeated practice but from mental flexibility.

yí gè一个rén人yuè越shì是fàng sōng放松，yuè越shì是bù不bèi被gù dìng固定de的sī lù思路xiàn zhì限制，jiù就yuè越róng yì容易zài在guān jiàn关键shí kè时刻chǎn shēng产生zhè yàng这样de的niàn tou念头。

The more relaxed a person is, the less they are limited by fixed thinking, the easier it is to have such a thought at a critical moment.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，wǒ men我们yǐ wéi以为jiě jué解决wèn tí问题zhǐ néng只能yī kào依靠zhǎng长shí jiān时间de的nǔ lì努力，dàn但qí shí其实，hěn很duō多guān jiàn关键de的tū pò突破，qià qià恰恰lái zì来自nà那yī shùn jiān一瞬间de的biàn huà变化。

Sometimes we think solving problems requires long effort, but in fact, many key breakthroughs come from that instant of change.

yīn cǐ因此，“líng jī yī dòng灵机一动”bù jǐn不仅shì是zài在miáo shù描述yí gè一个xiàn xiàng现象，yě也shì是zài在tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们yī jiàn shì一件事：bǎo chí保持sī wéi思维de的kāi fàng开放，bǐ比yī wèi一味dì地kǔ sī苦思gèng更zhòng yào重要。

Therefore, “灵机一动” not only describes a phenomenon but also reminds us of one thing: keeping an open mind is more important than just struggling to think hard.

dāng当nǐ你xià yī cì下一次yù dào遇到nán tí难题，bù fáng不妨xiān先tíng停yī tíng一停。

The next time you face a difficult problem, try pausing for a moment.

yě xǔ也许jiù就zài在nǐ你fàng sōng放松de的nà yī kè那一刻，yí gè一个xīn新de的xiǎng fǎ想法，huì会tū rán突然chū xiàn出现。

Perhaps at the moment you relax, a new idea will suddenly appear.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '灵机一动'!

0/50