车水马龙
车水马龙 (chē shuǐ mǎ lóng) literally means “carriages like water, horses like dragons” and expresses “bustling activity”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: che shui ma long, che shui ma long,车水马龙 meaning, 车水马龙 in english
Bustling activity
Pronunciation: chē shuǐ mǎ lóng Literal meaning: Carriages like water, horses like dragons
Origin & Usage
Empress Ma of the Later Han, declining to have her relatives ennobled, described the traffic she had seen at their gates: the carriages (车) like flowing water (水), the horses (马) like a moving dragon (龙). She meant it as evidence against them. The phrase is now purely descriptive and entirely positive, the standard Chinese image of a prosperous street, and the empress's disapproval has vanished from it completely.
Examples
English: "The bustling city streets were filled with a constant flow of traffic."
Chinese: 繁华的街道上车水马龙，热闹非凡。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
龙马精神
lóng mǎ jīng shén
Youthful vigor despite old age
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安步当车
ān bù dàng chē
Choose simpler pleasures over status displays
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螳臂当车
táng bì dāng chē
Futile resistance
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闭门造车
bì mén zào chē
Creating without practical feedback
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轻车熟路
qīng chē shú lù
Be experienced; find something easy due to familiarity
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前车之鉴
qián chē zhī jiàn
Learn from past mistakes
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学富五车
xué fù wǔ chē
Extremely learned
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龙飞凤舞
lóng fēi fèng wǔ
Dynamic elegance
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 车水马龙 mean in English?
车水马龙 (chē shuǐ mǎ lóng) literally translates to “Carriages like water, horses like dragons” and is used to express “Bustling activity”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 车水马龙 used?
Situation: The bustling city streets were filled with a constant flow of traffic.
What is the pinyin for 车水马龙?
The pinyin pronunciation for 车水马龙 is “chē shuǐ mǎ lóng”.