万马奔腾

Pronunciation: wàn mǎ bēn téng Literal meaning: Ten thousand horses galloping

Origin & Usage

This dynamic idiom envisions ten thousand (万) horses (马) galloping (奔腾) together, originating from Tang Dynasty military descriptions. It first appeared in chronicles describing the impressive cavalry forces of border generals, where the thundering hooves created both visual and auditory spectacle. During the Song Dynasty, poets expanded its usage to describe natural phenomena like powerful waterfalls or ocean waves. The hyperbolic number emphasized overwhelming scale and unstoppable momentum. Unlike terms for simple movement, it specifically evokes coordinated, powerful motion with earth-shaking impact. Modern usage describes any massive, dynamic movement - from market trends to social movements - suggesting both scale and unstoppable collective energy.

Examples

English: "After the announcement, the stock market surged with unprecedented trading volume"

Chinese: 公告发布后，股市以前所未有的交易量飙升