飞禽走兽
飞禽走兽 (fēi qín zǒu shòu) literally means “flying birds, running beasts” and expresses “all varieties of wildlife in nature”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: fei qin zou shou, fei qin zou shou,飞禽走兽 meaning, 飞禽走兽 in english
All varieties of wildlife in nature
Pronunciation: fēi qín zǒu shòu Literal meaning: Flying birds, running beasts
Origin & Usage
Flying (飞) birds (禽) and running (走) beasts (兽). Wang Yanshou's Han rhapsody on the Lingguang Hall supplies the line, describing the carved figures in its roof — 飞禽走兽，因木生姿, beasts and birds taking their attitude from the grain of the wood they are cut in. The pairing sorts animals by how they move rather than by what they are, and Chinese still uses it as the general term for wildlife, most often in writing about what a landscape holds.
Examples
English: "The nature reserve protected various species of wildlife in their natural habitat"
Chinese: 自然保护区保护各种野生动物在其自然栖息地
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
走马观花
zǒu mǎ guān huā
Observe hastily and superficially
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不胫而走
bù jìng ér zǒu
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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走马看花
zǒu mǎ kàn huā
Superficial observation without depth
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走为上计
zǒu wéi shàng jì
Strategic retreat
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插翅难飞
chā chì nán fēi
Utterly impossible to escape
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鸡飞蛋打
jī fēi dàn dǎ
To lose everything; complete failure
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龙飞凤舞
lóng fēi fèng wǔ
Dynamic elegance
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不翼而飞
bù yì ér fēi
Sudden disappearance
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 飞禽走兽 mean in English?
飞禽走兽 (fēi qín zǒu shòu) literally translates to “Flying birds, running beasts” and is used to express “All varieties of wildlife in nature”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 飞禽走兽 used?
Situation: The nature reserve protected various species of wildlife in their natural habitat
What is the pinyin for 飞禽走兽?
The pinyin pronunciation for 飞禽走兽 is “fēi qín zǒu shòu”.