突飞猛进

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: tū fēi měng jìn
• English Translation: Advancing by leaps and bounds (rapid progress)
• Idiom Composition: 「突」（Suddenly or breaking through (indicating speed and impact)）＋「飞」（To fly (suggesting high velocity)）＋「猛」（Fiercely or vigorously (emphasizing the power behind the movement)）＋「进」（To advance or move forward）
• Meaning: To make remarkably rapid progress or development; to advance with great speed and vigor.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「突飞猛进」 contains the following nuances:

• Explosive Speed: As indicated by the characters 突 (tū) and 猛 (měng), this idiom refers to changes that far exceed a normal pace, occurring with explosive speed and impact.
• Broad Application: It can be applied to a wide range of abstract improvements, including national economies, scientific technology, and individual skills or academic performance.

3. Usage

「突飞猛进」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Improvement of skills or grades: Commonly used to praise a learner whose grades or technical skills have improved dramatically in a short period.
  • Example:「经过一个暑假的特训，他的英语水平突飞猛进。」
    （After a summer of intensive training, his English proficiency advanced by leaps and bounds.）
• Social or technological development: A frequent expression in news and reports to describe the rapid evolution of science, technology, economy, or infrastructure.
  • Example:「近年来，人工智能技术突飞猛进，改变了我们的生活方式。」
    （In recent years, AI technology has made rapid strides, changing our way of life.）
• Business or organizational growth: Describes a company's performance or a project's progress that is moving forward much faster and more smoothly than expected.
  • Example:「这家初创公司的业务突飞猛进，很快就占据了市场份额。」
    （This startup's business grew at a breakneck pace, quickly capturing market share.）

Additional Examples:

1. 只要你坚持努力，你的成绩一定会突飞猛进。
   （As long as you keep working hard, your grades will surely improve dramatically.）
2. 改革开放以来，中国的经济建设突飞猛进。
   （Since the Reform and Opening-up (改革开放), China's economic construction has progressed by leaps and bounds.）
3. 看到孩子们突飞猛进的成长，老师感到非常欣慰。
   （The teacher felt very gratified to see the children's remarkable growth.）
4. 医学技术的突飞猛进让许多疑难杂症有了治愈的希望。
   （The rapid advancement of medical technology has brought hope for curing many rare diseases.）
5. 如果不持续学习，在这个突飞猛进的时代很容易被淘汰。
   （If you don't keep learning, you will easily be left behind in this fast-evolving era.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Usage Scope: This is a highly versatile idiom used in everything from daily conversation to news reports and official documents. It is almost exclusively used in positive contexts.
• Grammatical Function: It primarily functions as a predicate (verb phrase), but is also frequently used as an adjective to modify nouns, such as in 突飞猛进的发展 (tū fēi měng jìn de fā zhǎn), meaning 'leap-forward development'.
• Historical Context: In modern times, it has been a popular slogan-like expression used to celebrate national construction and breakthroughs in science and technology.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 日新月异 (rì xīn yuè yì): Changing with each passing day; focuses on the constant and relentless nature of renewal and change.link
  • 一日千里 (yī rì qiān lǐ): Covering a thousand miles in a single day; a metaphor for extremely rapid progress or development.
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 停滞不前 (tíng zhì bù qián): Stagnant and failing to make any progress; at a standstill.
  • 江河日下 (jiāng hé rì xià): Deteriorating day by day, like the water level of a river dropping; used to describe a situation that is steadily worsening.link
  • 一成不变 (yī chéng bù biàn): To remain unchanged; to be set in one's ways.link

6. Summary

The idiom 突飞猛进 (tū fēi měng jìn) describes a situation where progress—whether in academic grades, technology, or the economy—is not just fast, but explosive and powerful. It combines the imagery of a sudden breakthrough and flying forward with fierce momentum. It is a highly positive expression used to praise significant improvement or development.