每天成语
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车水马龙

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: chē shuǐ mǎ lóng
  • English Translation: Heavy traffic and bustling activity (like flowing water and a swimming dragon)
  • Idiom Composition: 「车」（Carriages or vehicles）＋「水」（Water (representing a continuous, never-ending flow)）＋「马」（Horses (representing the means of transport)）＋「龙」（Dragon (representing a long, winding procession)）
  • Meaning: A scene where carriages (or cars) flow like water and horses (or traffic) line up like a dragon. It describes heavy traffic and the bustling, lively atmosphere of a prosperous city or street.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「车水马龙」 contains the following nuances:

  • Structure of the Metaphor: This idiom is a shortened form of 'carriages like flowing water' (车如流水) and 'horses like a swimming dragon' (马如游龙). It creates a vivid visual of continuous movement and long, winding lines.
  • Symbol of Prosperity: Rather than just a negative 'traffic jam,' this phrase usually implies that a place is thriving, energetic, and full of life (positive or neutral connotation).

3. Usage

「车水马龙」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Urban Description: The most common way to describe big city streets or downtown areas that are overflowing with cars and people day and night.
    • Example:「站在天桥上，看着下面车水马龙的街道，我不禁感叹这座城市的繁华。」
      （Standing on the overpass and looking at the heavy traffic on the streets below, I couldn't help but marvel at the city's prosperity.)
  • Events and Tourist Attractions: Describes a situation where a specific location is crowded with people and vehicles due to a festival or peak tourist season.
    • Example:「春节期间，庙会周围车水马龙，非常热闹。」
      （During the Spring Festival, the area around the temple fair was teeming with traffic and people, making it extremely lively.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 昔日的宁静小镇，如今已变成了车水马龙的商业中心。
    （The once quiet small town has now turned into a commercial center with heavy traffic.）
  2. 尽管已是深夜，这条大街上依然车水马龙。
    （Even though it was late at night, this main street was still bustling with a constant stream of cars.）
  3. 看着窗外车水马龙的景象，他感到一丝孤独。
    （Looking at the endless flow of traffic outside the window, he felt a hint of loneliness.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Source: Derived from the 'Biography of Empress Ma' in the *Book of the Later Han* (后汉书). Empress Ma (马皇后) used the phrase to describe her relatives who lived extravagantly and constantly visited each other in grand processions, using it as a warning against their vanity.
  • Modern Nuance: While the classical context contained a hint of caution against 'showing off power,' modern Chinese uses it purely as a descriptive term for the vitality and 'hustle and bustle' of a busy city.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

车水马龙 (chē shuǐ mǎ lóng) is a classic idiom used to describe a scene of heavy traffic and bustling activity. The imagery of water flowing and a dragon winding captures the continuous movement of vehicles and people. While it originally cautioned against extravagance, in modern contexts, it is almost exclusively used to describe the vibrant, busy nature of urban life.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 2

Idiom Essay

chē shuǐ mǎ lóng
车水马龙
Heavy Traffic
zhàn站zài在chéng shì城市de的lì jiāo qiáo立交桥shàng上，huò zhě或者tòu guò透过gāo lóu高楼de的chuāng hù窗户xiàng xià向下kàn看，nǐ你kàn dào看到guò过zhè yàng这样de的jǐng xiàng景象ma吗？

Standing on a city overpass or looking down through the window of a skyscraper, have you ever seen such a sight?

kuān kuò宽阔de的jiē dào街道shàng上jǐ mǎn挤满le了chē车，yī liàng一辆jiē zhe接着yī liàng一辆，méi yǒu没有jìn tóu尽头。

The wide streets are packed with cars, one after another, without end.

bái tiān白天，tā men它们xiàng像liú dòng流动de的xiàn线；dào到le了wǎn shàng晚上，hóng sè红色de的wěi dēng尾灯hé和bái sè白色de的chē dēng车灯lián连zài在yì qǐ一起，xiàng像yī tiáo一条fā guāng发光de的hé河。

During the day, they are like flowing lines; at night, the red taillights and white headlights merge like a glowing river.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常měi de美的chéng yǔ成语lái来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种fán huá繁华de的jǐng xiàng景象，jiào叫“chē shuǐ mǎ lóng车水马龙”。

In Chinese, there is a very beautiful idiom to describe this bustling scene called 车水马龙.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn画面gǎn感jí极qiáng强。

This phrase has a very strong sense of imagery.

tā它bǎ把“chē车”bǐ zuò比作“liú shuǐ流水”，yì si意思shì是chē liàng车辆xiàng像shuǐ liú水流yī yàng一样，lián xù bù duàn连续不断；bǎ把“mǎ马”bǐ zuò比作“yóu lóng游龙”，xíng róng形容mǎ duì马队xiàng像lóng龙yī yàng一样wān yán蜿蜒qián xíng前行。

It compares 车 to flowing water, meaning vehicles are continuous like a stream; it compares 马 to a swimming dragon, describing a team of horses winding forward like a dragon.

suī rán虽然xiàn dài现代de的jiē dào街道shàng上yǐ jīng已经hěn很nán难jiàn dào见到mǎ马le了，dàn但gǔ rén古人de的zhè ge这个bǐ yù比喻bèi被wán měi完美dì地bǎo liú保留le了xià lái下来。

Although it is rare to see horses on modern streets, this ancient metaphor has been perfectly preserved.

gèng更yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语bǎ把yuán běn原本kě néng可能ràng让rén人jué de觉得cáo zá嘈杂、yōng jǐ拥挤de的jiāo tōng交通，xíng róng形容dé得fēi cháng非常yǒu有dòng gǎn动感，shèn zhì甚至dài yǒu带有yī zhǒng一种zhuàng guān壮观de的měi gǎn美感。

More interestingly, this idiom describes traffic—which might otherwise be considered noisy and crowded—as dynamic and even possessing a sense of grand beauty.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常zài在shén me什么qíng kuàng情况xià下yòng用tā它ne呢？

In what situations do we usually use it?

yì bān一般bú shì不是zài在nǐ你yīn wèi因为dǔ chē堵车ér而gǎn dào感到fán zào烦躁de的shí hòu时候。

Generally, it is not used when you are feeling frustrated because of a traffic jam.

xiāng fǎn相反，“chē shuǐ mǎ lóng车水马龙”wǎng wǎng往往dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种kè guān客观、shèn zhì甚至zàn tàn赞叹de的yǔ qì语气。

On the contrary, 车水马龙 often carries an objective or even admiring tone.

tā它dài biǎo代表zhe着rén qì人气，dài biǎo代表zhe着yí gè一个dì fāng地方de的huó lì活力。

It represents popularity and the vitality of a place.

dāng当nǐ你xiǎng想miáo shù描述yí gè一个chéng shì城市jīng jì经济hěn很fā dá发达，huò zhě或者yí gè一个jié rì节日qìng diǎn庆典fēi cháng非常rè nào热闹、lái wǎng来往de的rén人hěn很duō多shí时，zhè ge这个cí词zuì最hé shì合适。

When you want to describe a city with a developed economy, or a festival celebration that is very lively with many people coming and going, this word is most appropriate.

tā它bǎ把rén lèi人类de的huó dòng活动，kàn zuò看作le了yī zhǒng一种xiàng像zì rán jiè自然界yī yàng一样shēng shēng bù xī生生不息de的lì liàng力量。

It views human activity as a ceaseless force, much like nature itself.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你kàn看zhe着jiē dào街道shàng上chuān liú bù xī川流不息de的chē liàng车辆shí时，bù fáng不妨xiǎng想yī xiǎng一想zhè ge这个cí词。

So, the next time you look at the endless stream of vehicles on the street, you might think of this word.

nà那yī kè一刻，nǐ你kàn dào看到de的bù zài不再zhǐ shì只是yōng dǔ拥堵de的jiāo tōng交通，ér shì而是yī tiáo一条zhèng zài正在liú dòng流动de的、shǔ yú属于zhè这zuò座chéng shì城市de的hé liú河流。

In that moment, what you see is no longer just congested traffic, but a flowing river belonging to the city.

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