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汗流浃背

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: hàn liú jiā bèi
  • English Translation: Sweat streaming down one's back (drenched in sweat)
  • Idiom Composition: 「汗」（Sweat）＋「流」（To flow or stream）＋「浃」（To soak, drench, or saturate thoroughly）＋「背」（The back）
  • Meaning: To be so sweaty that one's clothes are soaked through to the back. While it often describes physical exertion or intense heat, it is also used metaphorically to describe breaking into a 'cold sweat' due to extreme fear, anxiety, or shame.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「汗流浃背」 contains the following nuances:

  • Physical Sweating (Modern Usage): Describes the literal state of the body being drenched, especially the back, due to heat, hard labor, or sports. This is the most common usage in daily conversation today.
  • Psychological Sweating (Classical/Figurative): Describes 'cold sweat' resulting from extreme tension, fear, or embarrassment. This aligns with the idiom's historical origin in the *Book of the Later Han* (后汉书).

3. Usage

「汗流浃背」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Physical Exertion or Labor: Used to objectively or positively describe someone working hard or exercising to the point of being covered in sweat.
    • Example:「工人们在烈日下干得汗流浃背。」
      （The workers were laboring under the scorching sun until they were drenched in sweat.)
  • Extreme Tension or Fear: Used when someone is under immense mental pressure, such as being interrogated or facing a terrifying situation.
    • Example:「面对考官严厉的提问，他紧张得汗流浃背，一句话也说不出来。」
      （Facing the examiner's harsh questioning, he was so nervous that he broke into a cold sweat and couldn't say a word.)
  • Intense Heat: Used to describe the discomfort of high temperatures where even slight movement causes sweating.
    • Example:「这几天持续高温，稍微动一下就汗流浃背。」
      （The high temperatures have persisted for days; you get soaked with sweat just by moving a little.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 为了按时完成任务，大家忙得汗流浃背。
    （In order to complete the task on time, everyone worked busily until they were dripping with sweat.）
  2. 想起刚才那惊险的一幕，我不禁汗流浃背。
    （Thinking back to that terrifying scene just now, I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.）
  3. 他在健身房跑了一个小时，累得气喘吁吁，汗流浃背。
    （He ran for an hour at the gym and was panting, soaked to the bone with sweat.）
  4. 被老师当众批评，他羞愧得汗流浃背。
    （Being criticized by the teacher in front of everyone, he was breaking out in a sweat from pure shame.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Historical Origin: This idiom comes from the *Book of the Later Han* (后汉书 - Hòu Hàn Shū). It originally described Empress Fu (伏皇后) during the Han Dynasty, who was so terrified when facing the powerful and intimidating warlord Cao Cao (曹操) that sweat soaked through her clothes to her back.
  • Orthography Warning: The character 浃 (jiā) means 'to drench' or 'to saturate.' Because it looks very similar to 夹 (jiā), which means 'to sandwich' or 'to clip,' it is one of the most commonly misspelled characters in Chinese (often incorrectly written as 汗流夹背).
  • Evolution of Meaning: While it began as a description of psychological terror, modern Chinese speakers use 汗流浃背 (hàn liú jiā bèi) much more frequently to describe the physiological result of hot weather or exercise.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

  • Similar Idioms:
  • Opposite Idioms:
    • 从容镇定 (cóng róng zhèn dìng): Calm and collected; showing no signs of panic or agitation.
    • 神态自若 (shén tài zì ruò): To remain perfectly calm and composed as if nothing has happened.

6. Summary

汗流浃背 (hàn liú jiā bèi) literally describes a state where sweat flows so freely that it drenches the back. In modern contexts, it is the standard way to describe being **soaked with sweat** after exercise or in hot weather. However, it carries a classical nuance of 'cold sweat' triggered by psychological pressure. Learners should take care not to confuse the third character 浃 (jiā), meaning 'to soak,' with the similar-looking 夹 (jiā).

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

Idiom Essay

hàn liú jiā bèi
汗流浃背
Soaked with Sweat
xià tiān夏天zuì最rè热de的shí hòu时候，huò zhě或者gāng刚pǎo跑wán完wǔ gōng lǐ五公里，nǐ你yí dìng一定yǒu有guò过zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉：hàn shuǐ汗水zhǐ bú zhù止不住dì地wǎng往xià下tǎng淌，yī fú衣服shī tòu湿透le了，jǐn jǐn紧紧tiē贴zài在bèi背shàng上。

In the peak of summer heat, or right after running five kilometers, you have surely felt this: sweat flowing uncontrollably, clothes soaked through and clinging to your back.

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“hàn liú jiā bèi汗流浃背”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically for this state called 汗流浃背.

zì miàn字面yì si意思hěn很hǎo dǒng好懂。

The literal meaning is easy to understand.

“hàn liú汗流”jiù shì就是liú hàn流汗，“jiā浃”de的yì si意思shì是shī tòu湿透。

汗流 means sweat flowing, and 浃 means soaked through.

hé合qǐ lái起来，jiù shì就是hàn shuǐ汗水liú流dé得tài太duō多，bǎ把hòu bèi后背de的yī fú衣服dōu都jìn shī浸湿le了。

Combined, it means so much sweat has flowed that the clothes on your back are completely drenched.

zài在xiàn dài现代shēng huó生活zhōng中，wǒ men我们cháng yòng常用tā它lái来xíng róng形容tiān qì天气tài太rè热，huò zhě或者gàn huó干活tài太lèi累。

In modern life, we often use it to describe the weather being too hot or working too hard.

dàn shì但是，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最kāi shǐ开始chū xiàn出现de的shí hòu时候，qí shí其实hé和tiān qì天气yì diǎn一点guān xì关系dōu都méi yǒu没有。

However, when this idiom first appeared, it actually had nothing to do with the weather.

zài在gǔ dài古代de的gù shì故事lǐ里，tā它xíng róng形容de的shì是yī zhǒng一种jí dù极度de的jǐn zhāng紧张hé和kǒng jù恐惧。

In ancient stories, it described a state of extreme nervousness and fear.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，yī wèi一位dà chén大臣zuò做cuò错le了shì事，bù dé bù不得不miàn duì面对huáng dì皇帝de的zhì wèn质问。

Imagine an official who has done something wrong and must face the emperor's questioning.

suī rán虽然dà diàn大殿lǐ里bìng并bù不rè热，dàn但tā他yīn wèi因为xīn lǐ心里hài pà害怕，lěng hàn冷汗shùn jiān瞬间jiù就xià lái下来le了，dǎ shī打湿le了hòu bèi后背。

Even if the hall is not hot, because of the fear in his heart, cold sweat breaks out instantly and wets his back.

zhè这cái才shì是“hàn liú jiā bèi汗流浃背”zuì最yǒu yì si有意思de的dì fāng地方——tā它bǎ把“shēn tǐ身体de的fǎn yìng反应”hé和“xīn lǐ心里de的gǎn shòu感受”lián连zài在le了yì qǐ一起。

This is the most interesting part of 汗流浃背—it connects physical reactions with inner feelings.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，tā它shì是rè liè热烈de的。

Sometimes, it is passionate.

bǐ rú比如nǐ你zài在wèi le为了yí gè一个mù biāo目标quán lì yǐ fù全力以赴，lèi累dé得qì chuǎn xū xū气喘吁吁，zhè这shì是yī zhǒng一种tòng kuài痛快de的fù chū付出。

For example, when you are going all out for a goal and are panting with exhaustion, it is a satisfying kind of effort.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，tā它shì是huāng zhāng慌张de的。

Sometimes, it is panicked.

bǐ rú比如zài在nà ge那个ràng让nǐ你shǒu zú wú cuò手足无措de的shè jiāo社交chǎng hé场合，huò zhě或者bèi被lǎo shī老师tū rán突然diǎn míng点名què却dá答bù不shàng lái上来shí时，nà zhǒng那种gān gà尴尬hé和jiāo jí焦急，yě也huì会ràng让nǐ你“hàn liú jiā bèi汗流浃背”。

For example, in an awkward social situation or when a teacher suddenly calls on you and you cannot answer, that embarrassment and anxiety can also make you 汗流浃背.

shēn tǐ身体wǎng wǎng往往bǐ比yǔ yán语言gèng更chéng shí诚实。

The body is often more honest than words.

bù guǎn不管shì是wài miàn外面de的gāo wēn高温，hái shì还是xīn lǐ心里de的gāo yā高压，dāng当shēn tǐ身体chéng shòu bú zhù承受不住de的shí hòu时候，tā它jiù就huì会yòng用zhè zhǒng这种fāng shì方式fā chū发出xìn hào信号。

Whether it is external high temperatures or internal high pressure, when the body cannot take it, it sends a signal in this way.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到“hàn liú jiā bèi汗流浃背”shí时，bù fáng不妨kàn yī kàn看一看：zhè这jiū jìng究竟shì是yīn wèi因为tiān qì天气de的rè dù热度，hái shì还是yīn wèi因为xīn lǐ心里de的huāng zhāng慌张ne呢？

So, next time you hear 汗流浃背, take a look: is it because of the heat of the weather, or the panic in the heart?

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