每天成语
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觥筹交错

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: gōng chóu jiāo cuò
  • English Translation: Wine cups and tallies intermingled (a lively, bustling banquet)
  • Idiom Composition: 「觥」（An ancient wine vessel, typically made of horn）＋「筹」（Tallies or chips used for scoring in drinking games）＋「交」（To cross or intermingle）＋「错」（To be in disorder or mixed together）
  • Meaning: A descriptive idiom for a scene where many people are drinking and socializing enthusiastically at a banquet. It evokes the visual image of wine vessels and game markers being passed around, signifying a high-spirited and grand feast.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「觥筹交错」 contains the following nuances:

  • Visual Imagery: The idiom does more than just say people are 'happy'; it uses the physical movement of objects on the table to describe the scale and energy of the event.
  • Formal Register: This is a literary expression. While you wouldn't use it for a casual beer with friends, it is perfect for formal speeches, literature, or describing high-end events.

3. Usage

「觥筹交错」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Literary description of a banquet: Used in novels or essays to vividly describe the atmosphere of a grand party or a bustling feast.
    • Example:「大厅里灯火辉煌，宾客们觥筹交错，谈笑风生。」
      （The hall was brilliantly lit, and the guests were clinking glasses and chatting merrily.)
  • Social and networking occasions: Refers to social settings like business dinners or diplomatic receptions where networking and drinking occur.
    • Example:「他不习惯这种觥筹交错的社交场合，只想早点回家。」
      （He is not used to social occasions where wine flows freely and people mingle, and he just wants to go home early.)
  • Atmospheric or critical tone: Depending on the context, it can describe pure joy or be used critically to suggest decadence or superficiality.
    • Example:「在这觥筹交错的繁华背后，隐藏着深深的空虚。」
      （Behind this scene of grand feasting, there lies a hidden sense of deep emptiness.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 宴会上觥筹交错，大家都喝得面红耳赤。
    （The banquet was in full swing with wine and games, and everyone was drinking until their faces were flushed.）
  2. 我不喜欢那种觥筹交错的应酬，更喜欢独自看书。
    （I don't like those social dinners filled with drinking, I prefer reading a book by myself.）
  3. 昔日觥筹交错的朋友，如今已各奔东西。
    （The friends I once shared many a lively toast with have now all gone their separate ways.）
  4. 在那觥筹交错的夜晚，他们达成了初步协议。
    （During that night of festive drinking, they reached a preliminary agreement.）
  5. 看着眼前觥筹交错的景象，我不禁想起了家乡的粗茶淡饭。
    （Looking at the extravagant feast before me, I couldn't help but think of the simple meals back in my hometown.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: This idiom comes from the famous essay 'The Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man' (醉翁亭记) by the Northern Song Dynasty scholar Ouyang Xiu (欧阳修).
  • Drinking Games: The character 筹 (chóu) refers to tallies used in 酒令 (jiǔlìng), or drinking games. In ancient Chinese banquets, guests played games like pitch-pot or composed poetry, and the tallies tracked who had to drink as a penalty.
  • Modern Usage: While modern banquets use glass bottles and digital entertainment, the phrase 觥筹交错 (gōng chóu jiāo cuò) remains the standard high-level way to describe a grand, lively feast.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

觥筹交错 (gōng chóu jiāo cuò) is a sophisticated idiom used to describe a lively banquet or a grand party. It originates from the visual of ancient wine vessels and game markers being passed around. In modern contexts, it is best understood as a 'grand feast' or 'lively social gathering,' often used in literature or formal descriptions of high-society events or business receptions.

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

Idiom Essay

gōng chóu jiāo cuò
觥筹交错
Clinking Glasses and Lively Feasting
xiǎng xiàng想象zhè yàng这样yí gè一个chǎng jǐng场景：zài在yí gè一个shèng dà盛大de的wǎn yàn晚宴shàng上，dēng guāng灯光hěn很liàng亮，rén人hěn很duō多。

Imagine a scene: at a grand banquet, the lights are bright and there are many people.

dà jiā大家bù jǐn不仅shì是zài在dī tóu低头chī fàn吃饭，gèng shì更是zài在máng zhe忙着shuō huà说话、hù xiāng互相jìng jiǔ敬酒。

Everyone is not just eating with their heads down, but is busy talking and toasting each other.

jiǔ bēi酒杯pèng碰zài在yì qǐ一起de的shēng yīn声音，xiào shēng笑声，hái yǒu还有rén men人们zhàn qǐ lái站起来yòu又zuò xià qù坐下去de的shēn yǐng身影，zhěng gè整个chǎng miàn场面xiǎn de显得fēi cháng非常máng lù忙碌，yòu又fēi cháng非常rè liè热烈。

The sound of glasses clinking, laughter, and the sight of people standing up and sitting down make the whole scene appear very busy and enthusiastic.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个tīng qǐ lái听起来hěn很gāo jí高级de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种chǎng miàn场面，jiào叫“gōng chóu jiāo cuò觥筹交错”。

In Chinese, there is a sophisticated-sounding idiom specifically used to describe this kind of scene, called 觥筹交错.

zhè这liǎng两gè个zì字kàn qǐ lái看起来hěn很nán难xiě写，qí shí其实yuán běn原本zhǐ dài指代de的dōng xī东西hěn很jiǎn dān简单。

These characters look difficult to write, but the things they originally referred to are actually quite simple.

“gōng觥”shì是gǔ rén古人yòng用de的jiǔ bēi酒杯，“chóu筹”shì是hē jiǔ喝酒shí时yòng lái用来jì shù记数huò zhě或者xíng jiǔ lìng行酒令de的chóu mǎ筹码。

觥 is a wine vessel used by ancient people, and 筹 refers to the chips used for counting or playing drinking games.

dàn但zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语de的líng hún灵魂，qí shí其实zài yú在于hòu后liǎng gè两个zì字——“jiāo cuò交错”。

But the soul of this idiom actually lies in the last two characters: 交错.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，jiǔ bēi酒杯jǔ举qǐ lái起来，shǒu bì手臂shēn伸guò qù过去，nǐ你jìng敬wǒ我yī bēi一杯，wǒ我huí回nǐ你yī jù一句。

Imagine glasses being raised, arms reaching out, you toast me, and I reply to you.

zhè zhǒng这种“jiāo cuò交错”，bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是wù tǐ物体de的wèi zhì位置zài在yí dòng移动，gèng shì更是rén人hé和rén人zhī jiān之间de的hù dòng互动zài在fā shēng发生。

This 交错 is not just the movement of objects, but the interaction happening between people.

wǒ men我们yì bān一般bú huì不会yòng用“gōng chóu jiāo cuò觥筹交错”lái来xíng róng形容liǎng两sān gè三个hǎo yǒu好友zài在jiā lǐ家里ān jìng安静dì地hē jiǔ喝酒。

We generally do not use 觥筹交错 to describe two or three friends drinking quietly at home.

tā它shǔ yú属于nà zhǒng那种dà xíng大型de的、zhèng shì正式de的、chōng mǎn充满le了shè jiāo社交néng liàng能量de的chǎng hé场合。

It belongs to those large, formal occasions full of social energy.

bǐ rú比如gōng sī公司de的nián huì年会，huò zhě或者shì是shèng dà盛大de的hūn lǐ婚礼。

For example, a company's annual meeting or a grand wedding.

yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，zhè ge这个cí词suī rán虽然miáo xiě描写de的shì是rè nào热闹，dàn但tā它běn shēn本身dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种“páng guān zhě旁观者”de的lěng jìng冷静gǎn感。

Interestingly, although this word describes excitement, it carries a sense of "onlooker" calmness.

dāng当nǐ你yòng用zhè ge这个cí词de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你hǎo xiàng好像zhàn站zài在páng biān旁边，kàn看zhe着yǎn qián眼前zhè这fán huá繁华de的yí mù一幕，kàn看zhe着rén men人们zài在tuī bēi huàn zhǎn推杯换盏zhī jiān之间jiàn lì建立lián xì联系。

When you use this word, it is as if you are standing to the side, watching this bustling scene and seeing people build connections while exchanging cups.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你zhì shēn置身yú于yí gè一个rè nào fēi fán热闹非凡de的yàn huì宴会，huò zhě或者kàn dào看到diàn yǐng电影lǐ里shē huá奢华de的pài duì派对chǎng miàn场面shí时，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以yòng用zhè ge这个cí词。

So, next time you are at a bustling banquet or see a luxurious party scene in a movie, you can use this word.

tā它xíng róng形容de的，jiù shì就是nà zhǒng那种rén lèi人类tè yǒu特有de的、jì既rè liè热烈yòu又fù zá复杂de的shè jiāo社交tú jǐng图景。

What it describes is that uniquely human social landscape that is both enthusiastic and complex.

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造句练习📝

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