风声鹤唳
风声鹤唳 (fēng shēng hè lì) literally means “wind sound crane call” and expresses “overly fearful and suspicious”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: feng sheng he li, feng sheng he li,风声鹤唳 meaning, 风声鹤唳 in english
Overly fearful and suspicious
Pronunciation: fēng shēng hè lì
Literal meaning: Wind sound crane call
Origin & Usage
Dating back to the Jin Dynasty (265-420 CE), this idiom emerged from the aftermath of the Battle of Fei River. The defeated army became so paranoid that they mistook every wind (风) sound (声) and crane's (鹤) cry (唳) for enemy movements. The image draws from the watchful nature of cranes, known in Chinese culture as vigilant birds that react to the slightest disturbance. Originally describing excessive paranoia born from genuine threats, it evolved in classical literature to represent heightened anxiety and overcautiousness. In modern usage, it often describes situations where past trauma or intense pressure leads to oversensitivity - from market traders seeing crashes in every fluctuation to organizations becoming overly risk-averse after setbacks.
Examples
English: "After the security breach, the company became extremely cautious about every small alert"
Chinese: 在安全漏洞事件后，公司对每个小警报都格外警惕
Discover a new Chinese idiom every day with our iOS app.
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 风声鹤唳 mean in English?
风声鹤唳 (fēng shēng hè lì) literally translates to “Wind sound crane call” and is used to express “Overly fearful and suspicious”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 风声鹤唳 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving overly fearful and suspicious.
What is the pinyin for 风声鹤唳?
The pinyin pronunciation for 风声鹤唳 is “fēng shēng hè lì”.