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藕断丝连

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: ǒu duàn sī lián
  • English Translation: The lotus root breaks, but the fibers remain connected (lingering ties)
  • Idiom Composition: 「藕」（Lotus root）＋「断」（To break or sever）＋「丝」（Silk or thin fibers）＋「连」（To connect or link）
  • Meaning: A metaphor describing a situation where, although a relationship or connection appears to have been severed on the surface, there are still lingering emotional ties or practical involvements. It is most commonly used to describe the complicated feelings between former lovers.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「藕断丝连」 contains the following nuances:

  • Visual Metaphor: The idiom draws a vivid image of the sticky fibers seen when a lotus root is snapped. This serves as a powerful metaphor for human connections that are 'broken but not severed.'
  • Ambiguity and Indecision: It often carries a nuance of being unable to make a clean break, suggesting a lack of resolve or a messy, unresolved state of affairs.

3. Usage

「藕断丝连」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Ex-lovers or former spouses: Used to describe or criticize a situation where people who have officially broken up still maintain contact or emotional attachment.
    • Example:「虽然他们已经分手了，但还是藕断丝连，经常私下见面。」
      （Although they have already broken up, they still have lingering ties and often meet in private.)
  • Complex interests or hidden connections: Beyond romance, it can describe organizations or groups that appear independent or opposed but maintain hidden connections.
    • Example:「这两家公司表面上是竞争对手，实际上有着藕断丝连的利益关系。」
      （These two companies are rivals on the surface, but in reality, they have strings-attached interest relations.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 与其这样藕断丝连互相折磨，不如彻底分开。
    （Rather than torturing each other with these lingering connections, it would be better to separate completely.）
  2. 那段旧情对他来说早已过去，不再有任何藕断丝连的念头。
    （That old flame is long gone for him; he no longer has any lingering feelings.）
  3. 这部电影讲述了一对离婚夫妇藕断丝连的爱情故事。
    （This movie tells the story of the unbreakable affection between a divorced couple.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase originates from a poem titled *The Discarded Wife* (去妇) by the Tang Dynasty poet Meng Jiao (孟郊), which says: 'My heart is like the fibers in a lotus root; though broken, they still pull together.' It originally depicted the sorrow of a wife who could not let go of her feelings for her husband.
  • In modern usage, the term has evolved to include a negative connotation, often implying that a relationship is 'messy' or that the parties involved are being indecisive.
  • In Chinese culture, the word for lotus root, 藕 (ǒu), is a homophone for 偶 (ǒu), which means 'a pair' or 'spouse,' making it a common symbol for romantic relationships.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 藕断丝连 (ǒu duàn sī lián) uses the physical property of a lotus root—which produces sticky, unbreakable fibers even when snapped—as a metaphor for human relationships. While it can describe romantic pining, it is often used critically to describe people who are unable to make a clean break or who maintain 'strings-attached' relationships.

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

Idiom Essay

ǒu duàn sī lián
藕断丝连
Lingering Connections
rú guǒ如果nǐ你qiè切guò过huò zhě或者zhé duàn折断guò过lián ǒu莲藕，nǐ你yí dìng一定jiàn见guò过nà ge那个huà miàn画面。

If you have ever cut or broken a lotus root, you must have seen that image.

“pā啪”de的yī shēng一声，lián ǒu莲藕cuì shēng shēng脆生生dì地duàn kāi断开le了，biàn chéng变成le了liǎng jié两截。

With a snap, the lotus root breaks cleanly into two pieces.

kě shì可是，dāng当nǐ你shì tú试图bǎ把tā men它们lā kāi拉开shí时，huì会fā xiàn发现zhōng jiān中间hái yǒu还有hěn很duō多xì xì细细de的、zhān zhān粘粘de的sī xiàn丝线。

However, when you try to pull them apart, you will find many thin, sticky threads in between.

nǐ你lā拉dé得yuè越yuǎn远，nà xiē那些sī丝fǎn ér反而bēng绷dé得yuè越jǐn紧，zěn me怎么yě也bù不yuàn yì愿意chè dǐ彻底fēn kāi分开。

The further you pull, the tighter those threads seem to stretch, refusing to separate completely.

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，jiù就lái zì来自zhè ge这个huà miàn画面，jiào叫“ǒu duàn sī lián藕断丝连”。

In Chinese, there is a very vivid idiom derived from this scene called 藕断丝连.

“ǒu藕”duàn断le了，shì是shì shí事实；kě可“sī丝”hái还lián连zhe着，shì是qiān guà牵挂。

The 藕 is broken, which is a fact; but the 丝 are still connected, which represents a lingering attachment.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语，zuì最cháng yòng常用lái来xíng róng形容rén人yǔ与rén人zhī jiān之间——tè bié特别shì是liàn rén恋人zhī jiān之间——nà zhǒng那种bìng并méi yǒu没有chè dǐ彻底duàn jué断绝de的guān xì关系。

This idiom is most commonly used to describe the kind of relationship between people—especially lovers—that has not been completely severed.

hěn很duō多shí hòu时候，gǎn qíng感情de的jié shù结束，bìng并bù不xiàng像guān dēng关灯yī yàng一样，kā chā咔嚓yī xià一下jiù就quán全hēi黑le了。

Many times, the end of a relationship is not like turning off a light, where everything goes dark with one click.

yě xǔ也许liǎng gè两个rén人yǐ jīng已经fēn shǒu分手le了，bù zài不再jiàn miàn见面le了，shèn zhì甚至duì wài对外xuān chēng宣称“jié shù结束le了”。

Perhaps two people have already broken up, no longer meet, and even announce to the world that it is over.

zhè这jiù shì就是“ǒu duàn藕断”。

This is 藕断.

kě shì可是，xīn lǐ心里yě xǔ也许hái还cún存zhe着duì fāng对方de的xí guàn习惯，shǒu jī手机lǐ里hái还liú留zhe着duì fāng对方de的zhào piān照片，huò zhě或者ǒu ěr偶尔hái还huì会rěn bú zhù忍不住dǎ tīng打听duì fāng对方de的xiāo xī消息。

However, one might still keep the other person's habits in their heart, keep their photos on the phone, or occasionally can't help but ask for news about them.

zhè zhǒng这种kàn bú jiàn看不见、què却yòu又zhēn shí真实cún zài存在de的qiān guà牵挂，jiù shì就是“sī lián丝连”。

This invisible yet real lingering concern is 丝连.

tā它xíng róng形容de的shì是yī zhǒng一种zhuàng tài状态：biǎo miàn shàng表面上de的guān xì关系yǐ jīng已经jié shù结束le了，kě可nèi zài内在de的qíng gǎn情感hái还zài在yǐn yǐn yuē yuē隐隐约约dì地lā chě拉扯。

It describes a state: the relationship has ended on the surface, but the inner emotions are still faintly pulling at each other.

zhè这wèi bì未必shì是yīn wèi因为rén men人们bù xiǎng不想fēn kāi分开，ér shì而是yīn wèi因为gǎn qíng感情shì是yǒu有guàn xìng惯性de的。

This is not necessarily because people do not want to separate, but because emotions have inertia.

jiù就xiàng像nà那gēn根lián ǒu莲藕lǐ里de的sī丝，tā它suī rán虽然xì wēi细微，què却hěn很yǒu有rèn xìng韧性。

Just like the threads in that lotus root, although they are tiny, they are very resilient.

yǒu shí hòu有时候，wǒ men我们huì会xiàn mù羡慕“yì dāo liǎng duàn一刀两断”de的gān cuì干脆，jué de觉得nà yàng那样hěn很kù酷。

Sometimes, we envy the decisiveness of cutting ties cleanly, thinking it is very cool.

dàn但xiàn shí现实zhōng中，gèng更duō多de的lí bié离别，wǎng wǎng往往dōu都shì是“ǒu duàn sī lián藕断丝连”de的。

But in reality, more partings tend to be 藕断丝连.

tā它dài带zhe着yì diǎn一点yóu yù犹豫，yì diǎn一点jiū jié纠结，shèn zhì甚至yì diǎn一点wú kě nài hé无可奈何。

It carries a bit of hesitation, a bit of entanglement, and even a bit of helplessness.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当nǐ你tīng dào听到zhè ge这个cí词，bú yào不要zhǐ只jué de觉得tā它shì是zài在shuō说“tuō ní dài shuǐ拖泥带水”。

So, when you hear this term, do not just think it means being indecisive.

tā它qí shí其实shì是zài在miáo shù描述yī zhǒng一种hěn很zhēn shí真实de的rén xìng人性：wǒ men我们yào要qiē duàn切断yī zhǒng一种guān xì关系hěn很róng yì容易，dàn但yào要jiǎn duàn剪断nà那fèn份cháng jiǔ yǐ lái长久以来de的xí guàn习惯yǔ与qíng gǎn情感，wǎng wǎng往往xū yào需要gèng更zhǎng长de的shí jiān时间。

It is actually describing a very real human nature: it is easy for us to cut off a relationship, but cutting off long-standing habits and emotions often takes much longer.

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