火冒三丈
火冒三丈 (huǒ mào sān zhàng) literally means “fire rises three zhang” and expresses “explode in extreme anger or rage”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: huo mao san zhang, huo mao san zhang,火冒三丈 meaning, 火冒三丈 in english
Explode in extreme anger or rage
Pronunciation: huǒ mào sān zhàng Literal meaning: Fire rises three zhang
Origin & Usage
Anger as fire (火) rising (冒) three zhang (三丈) high — roughly ten metres, in a unit that makes the claim absurd on purpose. It belongs to vernacular fiction, where exaggeration of this kind is standard, and it describes sudden fury rather than sustained resentment. Somebody who has just gone up, with the flare expected to subside.
Examples
English: "The manager erupted in rage upon discovering the accounting discrepancy"
Chinese: 经理发现会计差异后，怒火中烧
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
引火烧身
yǐn huǒ shāo shēn
Bring trouble upon oneself
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隔岸观火
gé àn guān huǒ
Observe troubles from safe distance
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城门失火
chéng mén shī huǒ
Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems
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一落千丈
yī luò qiān zhàng
Rapid decline
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抱薪救火
bào xīn jiù huǒ
Make situation worse
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洞若观火
dòng ruò guān huǒ
Understand with absolute clarity
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飞蛾扑火
fēi é pū huǒ
Be irresistibly drawn toward self-destruction
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炉火纯青
lú huǒ chún qīng
Highest level of mastery; consummate skill
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 火冒三丈 mean in English?
火冒三丈 (huǒ mào sān zhàng) literally translates to “Fire rises three zhang” and is used to express “Explode in extreme anger or rage”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 火冒三丈 used?
Situation: The manager erupted in rage upon discovering the accounting discrepancy
What is the pinyin for 火冒三丈?
The pinyin pronunciation for 火冒三丈 is “huǒ mào sān zhàng”.