春风化雨

Pronunciation: chūn fēng huà yǔ
Literal meaning: Spring wind becomes rain

Origin & Usage

This poetic metaphor traces back to the Han Dynasty's educational philosophy, where ideal teaching was compared to spring winds (春风) transforming into nurturing rain (化雨). The imagery draws from agricultural wisdom – spring breezes and gentle rains nurture plants without forcing growth. Scholar Han Yu popularized this concept during the Tang Dynasty, describing how effective mentors influence students subtly and naturally. Modern educators still reference this idiom when discussing student-centered learning approaches that prioritize gentle guidance over rigid instruction.

Examples

English: "The teacher's patient guidance slowly transformed the struggling student"

Chinese: 老师耐心的引导慢慢改变了这个困难学生

---

Discover a new Chinese idiom every day with our iOS app.