每天成语
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应接不暇

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: yìng jiē bù xiá
  • English Translation: Too busy to attend to all (overwhelmed)
  • Idiom Composition: 「应」（To respond to or deal with）＋「接」（To receive or meet）＋「不」（Not）＋「暇」（Leisure or spare time）
  • Meaning: Originally used to describe being unable to take in all the beautiful scenery appearing one after another. In modern usage, it refers to being so overwhelmed by a continuous stream of people, tasks, or events that one has no time to deal with them all.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「应接不暇」 contains the following nuances:

  • Overwhelming Volume and Speed: The idiom implies more than just being 'busy'; it conveys a sense of urgency where things are coming at you faster than your capacity to handle them.
  • Versatility of Subject: The 'objects' being received can be visual (scenery), social (guests), or professional (tasks/orders). Depending on the context, it translates to 'unable to see it all' or 'unable to handle it all.'

3. Usage

「应接不暇」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Business and Service: Frequently used when a business is flooded with orders or customers, leaving the staff struggling to keep up.
    • Example:「新产品发布后订单如雪片般飞来，客服部门忙得应接不暇。」
      （After the new product launch, orders poured in like snowflakes, and the customer service department was overwhelmed.)
  • Sightseeing and Visual Experience: Used in its original sense to describe a situation where there are so many beautiful things to see that one cannot take them all in.
    • Example:「故宫里的珍宝琳琅满目，让人看得应接不暇。」
      （The treasures in the Forbidden City (故宫) are so numerous and magnificent that one cannot take them all in.)
  • Information Overload: Applicable to modern situations where notifications, news, or messages arrive too quickly to process.
    • Example:「手机上的消息响个不停，各种通知让我应接不暇。」
      （The notifications on my phone kept ringing, and I was unable to keep up with all the messages.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 节日期间游客爆满，景区的工作人员应接不暇。
    （During the holidays, the scenic area is packed with tourists, and the staff are kept constantly on their toes.）
  2. 面对记者连珠炮似的提问，他显得有些应接不暇。
    （Facing the rapid-fire questions from reporters, he seemed a bit overwhelmed.）
  3. 这几天突发事件太多，市长已经应接不暇了。
    （There have been so many emergencies lately that the mayor is struggling to keep up.）
  4. 春晚的节目精彩纷呈，令人应接不暇。
    （The performances at the Spring Festival Gala (春晚) were so brilliant and varied that it was hard to take everything in.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: This idiom originates from the book A New Account of the Tales of the World (世说新语), specifically the 'Speech' chapter. It records a story about Wang Xianzhi (王献之), also known as Wang Zijing (王子敬), a famous calligrapher of the Southern and Northern Dynasties.
  • Historical Context: While walking along a path in Shanyin (山阴), Wang Xianzhi remarked that the mountains and rivers were so beautiful and reflected each other so perfectly that he 'had no leisure to attend to them all' (应接不暇).
  • Evolution of Meaning: Although it began as a high compliment for natural beauty, its modern usage has shifted significantly toward the practical context of being extremely busy with work, social obligations, or information processing.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

应接不暇 (yìng jiē bù xiá) is a common idiom used to describe a state of being overwhelmed by a rapid succession of things or people. Whether it is a flood of customers, a barrage of questions, or a stunning array of sights, it implies that the input is arriving faster than one can process it. It can be used in both positive contexts (like a 'happy problem' of too many customers) and negative contexts (being burnt out by too many tasks).

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

yìng jiē bù xiá
应接不暇
Overwhelmed by Abundance
shēng huó生活zhōng中yǒu shí hòu有时候huì会yǒu有zhè yàng这样de的shí kè时刻：shì qíng事情fā shēng发生dé得tài太kuài快、tài太duō多，ràng让nǐ你jué de觉得zì jǐ自己de的yǎn jīng眼睛、ěr duǒ耳朵，shèn zhì甚至dà nǎo大脑，dōu都kuài yào快要bù gòu不够yòng用le了。

There are moments in life when things happen so fast and in such volume that you feel your eyes, ears, and even your brain are not enough.

bǐ rú比如，nǐ你dì yī cì第一次qù去yí gè一个fán huá繁华de的dà dū shì大都市，ní hóng dēng霓虹灯、chē liú车流、xíng rén行人，suǒ yǒu所有de的huà miàn画面tóng shí同时xiàng向nǐ你yǒng涌lái来；huò zhě或者，nǐ你jǔ bàn举办le了yī cháng一场jù huì聚会，kè rén客人men们jiē èr lián sān接二连三dì地jìn mén进门，nǐ你gāng刚gēn跟zhè wèi这位dǎ打wán完zhāo hū招呼，xià下yī wèi一位yòu又zài在wèn问nǐ你wèn tí问题。

For example, the first time you visit a bustling metropolis, the neon lights, traffic, and pedestrians all rush toward you at once; or, you host a party where guests arrive one after another, and just as you finish greeting one, the next is already asking you a question.

nǐ你shèn zhì甚至lái bù jí来不及hē喝yī kǒu一口shuǐ水，zhǐ néng只能bù tíng不停dì地fǎn yìng反应。

You don't even have time to take a sip of water; you can only keep reacting.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“yìng jiē bù xiá应接不暇”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this state called 应接不暇.

zhè ge这个cí词de的jié gòu结构hěn很yǒu有luó jí逻辑。

The structure of this term is very logical.

“yīng应”hé和“jiē接”，shì是huí yìng回应、jiē dài接待de的yì si意思；ér而“xiá暇”，zhǐ指de的shì是kòng xián空闲de的shí jiān时间。

应 and 接 mean to respond or receive; while 暇 refers to leisure time.

hé合qǐ lái起来lǐ jiě理解，jiù shì就是shì qíng事情yí gè一个jiē zhe接着yí gè一个lái来，ràng让rén人lián连yì diǎn diǎn一点点kòng xián空闲de的shí jiān时间dōu都méi yǒu没有，gēn běn根本lái bù jí来不及huí yìng回应。

Understood together, it means things come one after another, leaving no leisure time at all, making it impossible to respond to everything.

hěn很yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì chū最初bèi被chuàng zào创造chū lái出来shí时，bìng并bú shì不是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容“máng lù忙碌de的tòng kǔ痛苦”，ér shì而是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容“měi de美的fēng fù丰富”。

Interestingly, when this idiom was first created, it wasn't used to describe the 'pain of busyness,' but rather the 'richness of beauty.'

zài在yī qiān一千duō nián多年qián前de的gù shì故事lǐ里，yǒu rén有人zǒu走zài在yī tiáo一条fēng jǐng风景yōu měi优美de的lù shàng路上。

In a story from over a thousand years ago, someone was walking along a road with beautiful scenery.

shān chuān山川、hé liú河流、huā cǎo花草，xiàng像huà juàn画卷yī yàng一样zài在yǎn qián眼前zhǎn kāi展开。

Mountains, rivers, flowers, and grass unfolded before his eyes like a scroll.

fēng jǐng风景shí zài实在tài太měi美、tài太duō多le了，tā他de的yǎn jīng眼睛kàn看bù不guò lái过来，xīn lǐ心里zàn tàn赞叹bù不guò lái过来。

The scenery was so beautiful and abundant that his eyes couldn't take it all in, and his heart couldn't praise it enough.

nà那shí hòu时候，“yìng jiē bù xiá应接不暇”shì是yī zhǒng一种xìng fú幸福de的fán nǎo烦恼——yīn wèi因为shì jiè世界tài太měi美，ér而wǒ men我们de的yǎn jīng眼睛zhǐ yǒu只有yī shuāng一双。

At that time, 应接不暇 was a kind of happy trouble—because the world was too beautiful, and we only have one pair of eyes.

bù guò不过dào到le了jīn tiān今天，wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中yòng用dào到tā它shí时，gèng更duō多shì是xíng róng形容yī zhǒng一种“chǔ lǐ处理bù不guò lái过来”de的máng lù忙碌gǎn感。

However, today, when we use it in life, it more often describes a sense of busyness where one is 'unable to cope.'

bǐ rú比如zài在gōng zuò工作zhōng中，diàn huà电话xiǎng响gè个bù tíng不停，yóu jiàn邮件yī fēng一封jiē接yī fēng一封，wǒ men我们huì会shuō说“máng忙dé得yìng jiē bù xiá应接不暇”；huò zhě或者zài在lǚ yóu旅游wàng jì旺季，yóu kè游客tài太duō多，dǎo yóu导游yě也huì会gǎn dào感到“yìng jiē bù xiá应接不暇”。

For instance, at work, when the phone rings constantly and emails arrive one after another, we say we are busy to the point of 应接不暇; or during peak tourist season, when there are too many visitors, a guide will also feel 应接不暇.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，tā它hé和pǔ tōng普通de的“máng忙”yǒu有yì diǎn一点xì wēi细微de的qū bié区别。

Please note, there is a subtle difference between it and being ordinary 'busy.'

“máng忙”kě néng可能zhǐ shì只是shì qíng事情duō多，nǐ你kě yǐ可以mái tóu kǔ gàn埋头苦干；dàn但“yìng jiē bù xiá应接不暇”qiáng diào强调de的shì是“hù dòng互动”——wài jiè外界bù duàn不断gěi给nǐ你cì jī刺激，ér而nǐ你bì xū必须bù duàn不断gěi给chū出fǎn yìng反应。

'Busy' might just mean having many things to do where you can keep your head down and work; but 应接不暇 emphasizes 'interaction'—the outside world constantly gives you stimuli, and you must constantly react.

zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉，qí shí其实jiē shì揭示le了wǒ men我们hé和shì jiè世界zhī jiān之间de的yī zhǒng一种zhāng lì张力。

This feeling actually reveals a tension between us and the world.

shì jiè世界shì是wú xiàn无限fēng fù丰富de的，wú lùn无论shì是měi jǐng美景hái shì还是suǒ shì琐事，tā men它们zǒng shì总是yuán yuán bù duàn源源不断dì地yǒng涌xiàng向wǒ men我们；ér而rén人de的jīng lì精力hé和zhù yì lì注意力，zhōng jiū终究shì是yǒu xiàn有限de的。

The world is infinitely rich; whether it is beautiful scenery or trivial matters, they always flow toward us continuously; yet human energy and attention are ultimately limited.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你gǎn dào感到“yìng jiē bù xiá应接不暇”de的shí hòu时候，bú yào不要tài太zé guài责怪zì jǐ自己xiào lǜ效率bù不gāo高。

So, the next time you feel 应接不暇, don't blame yourself too much for not being efficient.

zhè这yě xǔ也许zhǐ shì只是shēng huó生活zài在tí xǐng提醒nǐ你：xiàn zài现在de的shū rù输入liàng量yǐ jīng已经chāo guò超过le了fù hè负荷，yě xǔ也许shì是shí hòu时候màn慢xià lái下来，huò zhě或者，nǎ pà哪怕zhǐ shì只是yǔn xǔ允许zì jǐ自己cuò guò错过yī xiē一些dōng xī东西。

This might just be life reminding you: the current input has exceeded your capacity, and perhaps it is time to slow down, or even just allow yourself to miss a few things.

bì jìng毕竟，méi yǒu没有rén人néng能zhēn zhèng真正huí yìng回应quán shì jiè全世界。

After all, no one can truly respond to the whole world.

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