每天成语
background texture
< 触景生情随心所欲 >

戛然而止

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jiá rán ér zhǐ
  • English Translation: To come to a screeching halt (to stop abruptly)
  • Idiom Composition: 「戛」（Originally an onomatopoeia for clashing metal; here it signifies 'suddenly' or 'sharply'.）＋「然」（A suffix indicating a state or manner (similar to '-ly').）＋「而」（A conjunction used to connect the manner of the action to the verb.）＋「止」（To stop, cease, or end.）
  • Meaning: Describes the sudden and complete cessation of a sound, voice, or ongoing event without any warning. It emphasizes a sharp, immediate stop rather than a gradual fading out.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「戛然而止」 contains the following nuances:

  • Auditory Abruptness: The term originally stems from the sound of instruments or voices being cut off in an instant, transforming a scene from noise to absolute silence.
  • Metaphorical Interruption: Beyond physical sound, it is widely used to describe stories, careers, or historical events that stop at their peak or in the middle of progress, often implying a sense of shock or unfinished business.

3. Usage

「戛然而止」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Cessation of Sound: Most frequently used when noise, applause, or music stops instantly due to a specific signal or event.
    • Example:「老师一走进教室，同学们的吵闹声立刻戛然而止。」
      （As soon as the teacher walked into the classroom, the students' noisy chatter came to a screeching halt.)
  • Abrupt Endings in Narratives: Used when a story, movie, or plan ends unexpectedly, often leaving the audience in suspense.
    • Example:「这部电影在最精彩的地方戛然而止，留给观众无限的悬念。」
      （The movie ended abruptly at its most exciting moment, leaving the audience with endless suspense.)
  • Interruption of Life or Career: A more metaphorical usage describing a life or career that is cut short by tragedy or scandal.
    • Example:「一场突如其来的车祸，让他年轻的生命戛然而止。」
      （A sudden car accident brought his young life to an abrupt end.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 听到这个令人震惊的消息，他的笑声戛然而止。
    （Upon hearing the shocking news, his laughter stopped abruptly.）
  2. 随着资金链断裂，这个庞大的工程不得不戛然而止。
    （With the breaking of the capital chain, this massive project was forced to come to a sudden standstill.）
  3. 激烈的争吵声随着父亲的出现戛然而止。
    （The heated argument ceased instantly the moment their father appeared.）
  4. 原本流畅的琴声突然戛然而止，原来是琴弦断了。
    （The originally smooth music suddenly cut off because a string had snapped.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Common Orthography Error: This idiom is frequently misspelled as 嘎然而止 (gā rán ér zhǐ). While 嘎 (gā) is also an onomatopoeia (often for a duck's quack), the correct character is 戛 (jiá).
  • Literary Origin: The phrase appears in the work of the Qing Dynasty scholar Zhang Xuecheng (章学诚) in his book General Principles of Literature and History (文史通义), where he discusses the art of writing and how a narrative can change or end with sudden brilliance.
  • Nuance of 'The Clean Break': Unlike other words for 'stopping,' 戛然而止 (jiá rán ér zhǐ) carries a specific nuance of leaving a lingering impact or a sense of surprise because the stop was so unexpected.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

戛然而止 (jiá rán ér zhǐ) is a literary idiom used to describe a sudden, abrupt stop in sound, action, or progress. Whether it is a noisy room falling silent the moment a teacher enters or a story ending unexpectedly at its climax, the phrase highlights the jarring nature of the interruption.

Idiom Essay

jiá rán ér zhǐ
戛然而止
A Sudden Stop
shēng huó生活zhōng中，dà bù fèn大部分de的“jié shù结束”dōu都shì是huǎn màn缓慢de的。

In life, most endings are gradual.

xī yáng夕阳shì是màn màn慢慢là xià落下de的，jù huì聚会shì是màn màn慢慢sàn chǎng散场de的，jiù就lián连gào bié告别，wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常yě也huì会shuō说hǎo jǐ biàn好几遍“zài jiàn再见”。

The sun sets slowly, parties wind down bit by bit, and even when saying goodbye, we usually say it several times.

dàn但yǒu有yī zhǒng一种jié shù结束，fēi cháng非常tè bié特别。

But there is one kind of ending that is very special.

tā它lái de来得méi yǒu没有rèn hé任何yù zhào预兆，jiù就xiàng像yī bǎ一把dāo刀，tū rán突然qiē duàn切断le了jǐn bēng紧绷de的shéng zi绳子。

It comes without any warning, like a knife suddenly cutting a taut rope.

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tū rú qí lái突如其来de的jìng zhǐ静止，jiào叫“jiá rán ér zhǐ戛然而止”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this sudden stillness called 戛然而止.

zhè ge这个cí词yuán běn原本shì是yòng lái用来xíng róng形容shēng yīn声音de的。

This term was originally used to describe sound.

“jiá戛”shì是yí gè一个duǎn cù短促、xiǎng liàng响亮de的nǐ shēng cí拟声词。

戛 is a short, loud onomatopoeia.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，yī zhī一支zhèng zài正在yǎn zòu演奏de的jiāo xiǎng yuè tuán交响乐团，shēng yīn声音hóng dà宏大、jī áng激昂，zhǐ huī bàng指挥棒tū rán突然yī shōu一收，suǒ yǒu所有de的yuè qì乐器zài在tóng yī同一miǎo zhōng秒钟quán bù全部tíng zhù停住。

Imagine an orchestra playing; the sound is grand and passionate, then the conductor's baton suddenly stops, and all instruments fall silent in the same second.

nà那yī shùn jiān一瞬间de的jì jìng寂静，jiù就jiào叫“jiá rán ér zhǐ戛然而止”。

That moment of silence is called 戛然而止.

tā它bú shì不是shēng yīn声音màn màn慢慢biàn变xiǎo小，ér shì而是shēng yīn声音tū rán突然xiāo shī消失。

It is not the sound slowly fading away, but the sound suddenly disappearing.

wǒ men我们zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中jīng cháng经常néng能tǐ huì体会dào到zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉。

We often experience this feeling in our lives.

bǐ rú比如，yuán běn原本chǎo nào吵闹de的jiào shì教室，yīn wèi因为yán lì严厉de的lǎo shī老师tuī mén推门jìn lái进来，xuān nào喧闹shēng声shùn jiān瞬间xiāo shī消失；huò zhě或者，nǐ你zhèng zài正在kàn看yī bù一部diàn yǐng电影，jù qíng剧情dào到le了zuì最jǐn zhāng紧张de的shí kè时刻，píng mù屏幕tū rán突然hēi黑le了，gù shì故事jié shù结束le了。

For example, a noisy classroom suddenly becomes quiet because a strict teacher pushes the door open; or, you are watching a movie, and at the most intense moment, the screen suddenly goes black and the story ends.

zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉wǎng wǎng往往ràng让rén人fā lèng发愣。

This feeling often leaves people stunned.

yīn wèi因为tā它dǎ pò打破le了wǒ men我们de的yù qī预期。

Because it breaks our expectations.

wǒ men我们de的xīn lǐ心理guàn xìng惯性jué de觉得shì qíng事情hái还huì会jì xù继续，dàn但tā它piān piān偏偏tíng停zài在le了zhè lǐ这里。

Our psychological inertia makes us feel that things will continue, but they happen to stop right here.

yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，zhè zhǒng这种“tíng zhǐ停止”wǎng wǎng往往bǐ比“màn màn慢慢jié shù结束”gèng更yǒu有lì liàng力量。

Interestingly, this kind of stopping is often more powerful than a gradual ending.

yīn wèi因为tā它zài在kōng qì空气zhōng中liú xià留下le了yī duàn一段jù dà巨大de的kòng bái空白。

Because it leaves a huge blank space in the air.

tā它qiǎng pò强迫nǐ你qù去sī kǎo思考：gāng cái刚才fā shēng发生le了shén me什么？

It forces you to think: what just happened?

hòu miàn后面běn本gāi该yǒu有shén me什么？

What was supposed to come next?

suǒ yǐ所以，suī rán虽然wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常xǐ huān喜欢yuán mǎn圆满、wán zhěng完整de的jié jú结局，dàn但yǒu shí hòu有时候，“jiá rán ér zhǐ戛然而止”yě也shì是yī zhǒng一种yì shù艺术。

So, although we usually like complete and satisfying endings, sometimes 戛然而止 is also a form of art.

tā它bǎ把gù shì故事tíng停zài在le了zuì最gāo cháo高潮，bù zài不再duō多shuō说yí gè一个zì字，ér shì而是bǎ把xiǎng xiàng想象de的kōng jiān空间，quán bù全部liú gěi留给le了wǒ men我们zì jǐ自己。

It stops the story at its climax, without saying another word, leaving all the space for imagination to us.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '戛然而止'!

0/50