每天成语
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马不停蹄

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: mǎ bù tíng tí
  • English Translation: The horse's hooves never stop (without pause)
  • Idiom Composition: 「马」（Horse）＋「不」（Not / No）＋「停」（To stop / To pause）＋「蹄」（Hoof）
  • Meaning: Literally describing a horse galloping without stopping its hooves, this idiom refers to moving or working continuously without rest. It is used to describe someone who rushes from one task or location to the next with great energy and speed.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「马不停蹄」 contains the following nuances:

  • Continuity and Speed: The idiom emphasizes more than just being 'busy'; it highlights the 'speed' and 'uninterrupted flow' of actions, especially when moving between different tasks or locations.
  • Positive Connotation: It is typically used as a compliment to describe someone's diligence, sense of mission, or high efficiency in getting things done.

3. Usage

「马不停蹄」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Travel and Business Trips: Used to describe a hectic schedule where one arrives at a location and immediately moves to the next without resting.
    • Example:「考察团刚下飞机，就马不停蹄地赶往工厂参观。」
      （As soon as the delegation got off the plane, they hurried to the factory for a visit without a moment's rest.)
  • Project Progress: Describes starting the next phase of a project immediately after the previous one is finished.
    • Example:「为了赶在年底前完工，大家马不停蹄地工作了一个月。」
      （To finish before the end of the year, everyone worked non-stop for a whole month.)
  • Busy Daily Life: Refers to being constantly on the move or occupied with various errands.
    • Example:「这几天他忙得马不停蹄，连吃饭的时间都没有。」
      （He has been on the go constantly these past few days, even lacking time for a proper meal.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 收到紧急通知后，救援队马不停蹄地奔赴灾区。
    （Upon receiving the emergency notice, the rescue team rushed to the disaster area without stopping.）
  2. 虽然刚结束了一场激烈的比赛，但他马不停蹄地开始了下一轮训练。
    （Despite just finishing a grueling match, he immediately began the next round of training.）
  3. 为了筹备婚礼，这对新人整个周末都在马不停蹄地采购物资。
    （To prepare for the wedding, the couple spent the entire weekend running around non-stop to buy supplies.）
  4. 他在几个城市之间马不停蹄地穿梭，只为争取更多的合作机会。
    （He has been traveling back and forth between several cities to secure more partnership opportunities.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • This expression originates from the play Li Chun Tang (丽春堂) by the Yuan Dynasty playwright Wang Shifu (王实甫). While it originally appeared in a more literal context, it has evolved into a common metaphor for tireless effort.
  • In Chinese culture, the horse (马 - mǎ) is a symbol of success, speed, and vitality, as seen in other idioms like 马到成功 (mǎ dào chéng gōng). Consequently, 马不停蹄 (mǎ bù tíng tí) carries a very positive image of energetic progress.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

马不停蹄 (mǎ bù tíng tí) is a common idiom used to describe a state of being extremely busy yet productive. Like a horse galloping toward a destination without pause, it characterizes someone who moves immediately from one task to another without taking a break. It is generally a positive expression of diligence and efficiency.

Idiom Essay

mǎ bù tíng tí
马不停蹄
Without Stopping
xiàn dài rén现代人de的shēng huó生活jié zòu节奏hěn很kuài快。

Modern life moves at a very fast pace.

nǐ你yǒu méi yǒu有没有guò过zhè yàng这样de的shí kè时刻？

Have you ever had a moment like this?

gāng gāng刚刚wán chéng完成yī xiàng一项jiān jù艰巨de的rèn wù任务，hái还méi没lái de jí来得及qìng zhù庆祝，shèn zhì甚至hái还méi没lái de jí来得及chuǎn喘kǒu qì口气，xià下yī xiàng一项rèn wù任务jiù就yǐ jīng已经kāi shǐ开始le了。

You just finished a difficult task, and before you can celebrate or even catch your breath, the next task has already begun.

zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，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叫“mǎ bù tíng tí马不停蹄”。

This state is described by a very vivid Chinese idiom called 马不停蹄.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，tā它shì是zài在miáo xiě描写yì pǐ一匹mǎ马：mǎ马yì zhí一直zài在pǎo跑，mǎ tí马蹄gāng gāng刚刚luò dì落地，jiù就lì kè立刻tái qǐ抬起lái来，yī kè一刻yě也méi yǒu没有tíng zhǐ停止。

Literally, it describes a horse: the horse keeps running, and as soon as its hooves touch the ground, they lift up again without stopping for a single moment.

tīng qǐ lái听起来，shì bú shì是不是yǒu有yī zhǒng一种jǐn pò紧迫gǎn感？

Doesn't it sound like there is a sense of urgency?

shèn zhì甚至néng能tīng dào听到nà zhǒng那种dá dá dá哒哒哒de的、jí cù急促de的jié zòu节奏shēng声。

You can almost hear that rapid click-clack rhythm.

wǒ men我们yòng用“mǎ bù tíng tí马不停蹄”，tōng cháng通常bú shì不是wèi le为了bào yuàn抱怨“wǒ我hěn很lèi累”，ér shì而是wèi le为了xíng róng形容yī zhǒng一种“lián guàn连贯de的xíng dòng行动lì力”。

We use 马不停蹄 not usually to complain that "I am tired," but to describe a kind of "continuous momentum."

tā它hé和pǔ tōng普通de的“máng lù忙碌”bù不tài太yī yàng一样。

It is not quite the same as being ordinary "busy."

“máng lù忙碌”kě néng可能shì是yī tuán一团luàn má乱麻，dàn但“mǎ bù tíng tí马不停蹄”tōng cháng通常shì是yǒu有fāng xiàng方向de的。

Being "busy" might be a mess, but 马不停蹄 usually has a clear direction.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你gāng刚jié shù结束zài在guó wài国外de的chū chāi出差，xià下le了fēi jī飞机mǎ shàng马上gǎn赶huí回gōng sī公司kāi huì开会；huò zhě或者yī wèi一位zuò jiā作家，gāng刚xiě wán写完yī běn一本shū书de的zuì hòu最后yí gè一个zì字，mǎ shàng马上jiù就kāi shǐ开始gòu sī构思xià下yí gè一个gù shì故事。

For example, you just finished a business trip abroad, and as soon as you get off the plane, you rush back to the office for a meeting; or a writer finishes the last word of a book and immediately starts brainstorming the next story.

zài在zhè这liǎng jiàn两件shì事zhī jiān之间，běn lái本来yīng gāi应该yǒu有de的nà ge那个“xiū xī休息de的kòng xì空隙”，bèi被shěng lüè省略le了。

The "rest break" that should have existed between these two things is omitted.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lǐ里，qí shí其实cáng藏zhe着yī zhǒng一种bù zhī pí juàn不知疲倦de的jīng shén精神。

Inside this idiom, there is actually a hidden spirit of being tireless.

tā它ràng让wǒ men我们kàn dào看到，yǒu shí hòu有时候，tuī dòng推动wǒ men我们xiàng qián向前de的，bù不yí dìng一定shì是yuǎn chù远处de的zhōng diǎn终点，ér shì而是yī zhǒng一种tíng bù xià lái停不下来de的guàn xìng惯性。

It shows us that sometimes, what pushes us forward is not necessarily a distant finish line, but a momentum that cannot stop.

dāng rán当然，yì zhí一直bēn pǎo奔跑shì是hěn很xiāo hào消耗tǐ lì体力de的。

Of course, running all the time is very physically draining.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到yǒu rén有人yòng用“mǎ bù tíng tí马不停蹄”lái来xíng róng形容zì jǐ自己shí时，tā他kě néng可能shì是zài在gǎn tàn感叹shēng huó生活de的máng lù忙碌，dàn但gèng更duō多shí hòu时候，tā他shì是zài在zhǎn shì展示yī zhǒng一种áng yáng昂扬de的、xiǎng yào想要zuò chéng做成mǒu某jiàn shì件事de的jué xīn决心。

So, when you hear someone use 马不停蹄 to describe themselves, they might be sighing about how busy life is, but more often, they are showing a spirited determination to get something done.

rú guǒ如果nǐ你zuì jìn最近yě也zhèng正chǔ yú处于zhè zhǒng这种“mǎ bù tíng tí马不停蹄”de的zhuàng tài状态，xī wàng希望nǐ你zài在bēn pǎo奔跑de的tóng shí同时，yě也qīng chǔ清楚zì jǐ自己yào要qù xiàng去向nǎ lǐ哪里。

If you have also been in this state of 马不停蹄 lately, I hope that while you are running, you also know clearly where you are going.

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