黄粱一梦
黄粱一梦 (huáng liáng yī mèng) literally means “a dream of yellow millet” and expresses “ephemeral dreams”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: huang liang yi meng, huang liang yi meng,黄粱一梦 meaning, 黄粱一梦 in english
Ephemeral dreams
Pronunciation: huáng liáng yī mèng Literal meaning: A dream of yellow millet
Origin & Usage
The idiom 黄粱一梦 (huáng liáng yī mèng) originates from the Tang dynasty story found in the text 《枕中记》 by 沈既济. It tells of a young man named 卢生 who, while resting at an inn in 邯郸, laments his unfulfilled ambitions. A Taoist named 吕翁 offers him a magical pillow, promising that his dreams will come true. As 卢生 dreams, he experiences a lifetime of success and failure, only to awaken and find that the millet (黄粱) being cooked was still not done. This story illustrates the fleeting nature of dreams and ambitions. The characters 黄 (yellow), 粱 (millet), 一 (one), and 梦 (dream) together paint a vivid image of a dream as ephemeral as the time it takes to cook a pot of millet. In modern usage, it serves as a reminder of the illusory nature of worldly success and the importance of grounding oneself in reality.
Examples
English: "His aspirations were ultimately just a fleeting fantasy that never materialized"
Chinese: 他的抱负最终不过是一个转瞬即逝的幻想
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一波三折
yī bō sān zhé
Many twists and turns
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改邪归正
gǎi xié guī zhèng
Return to righteousness
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好逸恶劳
hào yì wù láo
Love ease, hate work
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物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
Extremes lead to reversal
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塞翁失马
sài wēng shī mǎ
Misfortune might be a blessing
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近水楼台
jìn shuǐ lóu tái
Advantage from close connections
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夜郎自大
yè láng zì dà
Overestimate oneself
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因果报应
yīn guǒ bào yìng
Actions have consequences
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 黄粱一梦 mean in English?
黄粱一梦 (huáng liáng yī mèng) literally translates to “A dream of yellow millet” and is used to express “Ephemeral dreams”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 黄粱一梦 used?
Situation: His aspirations were ultimately just a fleeting fantasy that never materialized
What is the pinyin for 黄粱一梦?
The pinyin pronunciation for 黄粱一梦 is “huáng liáng yī mèng”.
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