每天成语
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走马看花

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: zǒu mǎ kàn huā
  • English Translation: Looking at flowers while riding a horse (superficial understanding)
  • Idiom Composition: 「走」（To run or gallop (in Classical Chinese, as opposed to the modern meaning 'to walk')）＋「马」（Horse）＋「看」（To look at or view）＋「花」（Flowers）
  • Meaning: To observe things in a hurried and superficial manner without gaining a deep understanding, much like trying to appreciate the details of flowers while galloping past them on a horse.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「走马看花」 contains the following nuances:

  • Superficial Observation: Refers to a cursory check rather than a thorough investigation. It is often used when tours or inspections are merely formal or performative.
  • Shallow Understanding: Implies a failure to grasp the essence or details of a subject. In the context of learning, it criticizes the habit of not digesting information deeply.
  • Evolution of Meaning: While the idiom originally described the exhilaration of success, modern usage focuses on the negative connotation of being 'hasty' or 'careless'.

3. Usage

「走马看花」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Tourism and Travel: Used to describe a rushed itinerary where one only has time for a fleeting glance at famous sights.
    • Example:「这次旅行时间太紧，我们只能走马看花地逛了几个景点。」
      （The schedule for this trip was too tight, so we could only give a fleeting glance to a few attractions.)
  • Criticism of Inspections: Used to criticize officials or investigators who do not look deeply into the actual situation on the ground.
    • Example:「领导下基层调研不能走马看花，必须深入了解实际情况。」
      （When leaders conduct field research, they must not just scratch the surface; they must understand the actual situation deeply.)
  • Learning and Reading: Used to warn against skimming through books or materials without truly absorbing the content.
    • Example:「读经典著作要细细品味，走马看花是学不到东西的。」
      （Classic works should be savored; skimming through them won't teach you anything.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 博物馆里的展品太多了，我只能走马看花地浏览了一遍。
    （There were so many exhibits in the museum that I could only browse through them quickly.）
  2. 这种走马看花式的工作作风，怎么能解决复杂的问题呢？
    （With such a superficial work style, how can complex problems be solved?）
  3. 要想掌握这门技术，必须下苦功夫，不能走马看花。
    （To master this technology, you must work hard and not do things half-heartedly.）
  4. 他对这个城市的印象只是走马看花，并不了解这里的文化底蕴。
    （His impression of the city is merely skin-deep, as he doesn't understand its cultural depth.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The idiom originates from the poem 'After Passing the Imperial Examination' (登科后) by the Tang Dynasty poet Meng Jiao (孟郊).
  • The poem contains the famous line: 'In the spring breeze of success, the horse's hooves are swift; in a single day, I see all the flowers of Chang'an (长安).'
  • Originally, 走马看花 (zǒu mǎ kàn huā) represented the poet's immense joy and pride after finally passing the grueling Imperial Examination (科举) at the age of 46. He was so elated that he felt he could see all the sights of the capital in a single day.
  • Over time, the meaning shifted from 'joyful speed' to 'careless haste.' In modern Chinese, the original positive nuance has almost entirely disappeared.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

走马看花 (zǒu mǎ kàn huā) is an idiom used to describe looking at things superficially or rushing through a process without attention to detail. While it originally conveyed the joy and excitement of success, its modern usage is almost entirely critical or self-deprecating, highlighting a lack of thoroughness. It is also frequently written as 走马观花 (zǒu mǎ guān huā).

Idiom Essay

zǒu mǎ kàn huā
走马看花
A Quick Glance
wǒ men我们shēng huó生活zài在yí gè一个jié zòu节奏hěn很kuài快de的shí dài时代。

We live in a fast-paced era.

hěn很duō多shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们hǎo xiàng好像dōu都zài在gǎn lù赶路。

Many times, it feels like we are always in a rush.

qù去lǚ xíng旅行de的shí hòu时候，sān tiān三天yào要qù去wǔ gè五个jǐng diǎn景点，pāi拍le了jǐ zhāng几张zhào piān照片jiù就cōng cōng匆匆lí kāi离开。

When traveling, we might visit five attractions in three days, leaving hurriedly after taking a few photos.

kàn shū看书de的shí hòu时候，zhǐ shì只是kuài sù快速fān翻le了jǐ yè几页，bìng并méi yǒu没有zhēn de真的dú读jìn qù进去。

When reading, we might just flip through a few pages quickly without truly absorbing the content.

zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常xíng xiàng形象de的chéng yǔ成语，jiào叫“zǒu mǎ kàn huā走马看花”。

This state is described by a very vivid Chinese idiom called 走马看花.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，tā它de的huà miàn gǎn画面感hěn很qiáng强。

Literally, it creates a very strong visual image.

“zǒu mǎ走马”，shì是qí骑zhe着bēn pǎo奔跑de的mǎ马；“kàn huā看花”，shì是xīn shǎng欣赏lù biān路边de的huā duǒ花朵。

走马 means riding a galloping horse; 看花 means admiring the flowers along the road.

shì xiǎng试想yī xià一下，rú guǒ如果nǐ你qí骑zài在fēi bēn飞奔de的mǎ shàng马上，lù biān路边de的huā duǒ花朵huì会shì是shén me什么yàng zi样子？

Imagine if you were riding on a fast-running horse, what would the flowers by the road look like?

nǐ你dà gài大概zhǐ néng只能kàn dào看到yī piàn一片mó hú模糊de的yán sè颜色，hóng红de的、huáng黄de的，yī shǎn ér guò一闪而过。

You would probably only see a blur of colors—reds and yellows—flashing by.

nǐ你kàn bù qīng看不清huā bàn花瓣de的xíng zhuàng形状，yě也wén闻bú dào不到huā duǒ花朵de的xiāng qì香气。

You cannot see the shape of the petals clearly, nor can you smell the fragrance of the flowers.

suī rán虽然zài在gǔ dài古代de的shī jù诗句lǐ里，zhè ge这个cí词yuán běn原本shì是xíng róng形容yī zhǒng一种dé yì得意、chàng kuài畅快de的xīn qíng心情，jué de觉得shì jiè世界hěn很měi hǎo美好，xiǎng yào想要yī xià zi一下子kàn看wán完。

Although in ancient poetry, this term originally described a proud and cheerful mood, feeling that the world is beautiful and wanting to see it all at once.

dàn但zài在xiàn dài现代shēng huó生活lǐ里，wǒ men我们gèng更duō多shì是yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容yī zhǒng一种“cōng máng匆忙”hé和“cū lüè粗略”。

But in modern life, we use it more to describe being hurried and superficial.

dāng当wǒ men我们shuō说yí gè一个rén人shì是zài在“zǒu mǎ kàn huā走马看花”shí时，yì si意思wǎng wǎng往往shì是：tā他zhǐ只kàn dào看到le了biǎo miàn表面，méi yǒu没有shēn rù深入liǎo jiě了解。

When we say someone is 走马看花, it often means they only saw the surface and did not gain a deep understanding.

yě xǔ也许shì是yī cì一次cōng máng匆忙de的cān guān参观，yě xǔ也许shì是duì对yí gè一个fù zá复杂wèn tí问题de的jiǎn dān简单kàn fǎ看法。

It might be a hasty visit, or a simplistic view of a complex issue.

dāng rán当然，yǒu shí hòu有时候shí jiān时间yǒu xiàn有限，wǒ men我们bù dé bù不得不kuài快yì diǎn一点。

Of course, sometimes time is limited and we have to move a bit faster.

dàn但zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实shì是zài在wēn hé温和dì地tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：rú guǒ如果nǐ你zhēn de真的xiǎng yào想要kàn qīng看清yī duǒ一朵huā花，huò zhě或者zhēn de真的xiǎng yào想要liǎo jiě了解yī jiàn一件shì事，wéi yī唯一de的bàn fǎ办法，jiù shì就是tíng xià停下jiǎo bù脚步，cóng从mǎ shàng马上xià lái下来。

But this idiom is actually a gentle reminder: if you really want to see a flower clearly, or truly want to understand something, the only way is to stop and get off the horse.

bì jìng毕竟，zhēn zhèng真正de的fēng jǐng风景，bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是yòng lái用来lù guò路过de的，gèng shì更是yòng lái用来gǎn shòu感受de的。

After all, true scenery is not just for passing by, but for experiencing.

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