8 Powerful Chinese Idioms With Dragon (龙)
Discover Chinese idioms featuring the dragon (龙), a symbol of power, luck, and imperial authority in Chinese culture.
The dragon (龙, lóng) is the most revered creature in Chinese mythology, symbolizing power, strength, and good fortune. These idioms featuring the dragon are especially popular during Chinese New Year and celebrations.
画龙点睛
huà lóng diǎn jīngAdd crucial finishing touch
Literal: Dot dragon's eyes
This vivid idiom comes from a story of the legendary painter Zhang Sengyou during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period. After painting (画) four dragons (龙) on a temple wall, he deliberately left them without pupils. When questioned, he explained that dotting (点) the eyes (睛) would bring them t...
Example
Her final edit transformed the good presentation into an excellent one
她最后的修改把这个好的演讲变成了一个出色的演讲
龙马精神
lóng mǎ jīng shénYouthful vigor despite old age
Literal: Dragon-horse spirit
This vigorous idiom combines dragon (龙) and horse (马) energy (精神), originating from Tang Dynasty descriptions of elderly but energetic officials. Both animals symbolized tremendous vitality in Chinese culture—dragons representing imperial power and horses signifying tireless strength. The phrase gai...
Example
The 85-year-old professor still taught full courses with remarkable energy
这位85岁的教授仍然精力充沛地教授全部课程
叶公好龙
yè gōng hào lóngProfessed love hiding actual fear
Literal: Lord Ye loves dragons
This ironic tale tells of Lord Ye (叶公) who professed to love (好) dragons (龙) but fled in terror when faced with a real one. During the Six Dynasties period, it became a standard criticism of superficial appreciation without genuine understanding. The dragon imagery carried particular weight in Chine...
Example
The executive claimed to value innovation but rejected every new idea presented
这位高管声称重视创新，但拒绝了提出的每一个新想法
直捣黄龙
zhí dǎo huáng lóngStrike directly at the heart of enemy territory
Literal: Directly attack Yellow Dragon
General Yue Fei's determination to recapture northern territories gave birth to this bold strategy of striking directly (直捣) at the Yellow Dragon (黄龙) - the Jin Dynasty's imperial palace in Kaifeng. The geographic symbolism carried both literal and metaphoric weight, representing both the physical s...
Example
The military campaign bypassed smaller targets to strike directly at the enemy's capital
军事行动绕过较小的目标，直接打击敌人的首都
虎踞龙盘
hǔ jù lóng pánCommanding imposing strategic position
Literal: Tiger crouch dragon coil
Three Kingdoms period geographers first described Nanjing's terrain as having tigers crouching (虎踞) and dragons coiling (龙盘). The image combined earth's greatest predator with its supreme mythical creature to capture the city's naturally commanding position. Tang Dynasty writers expanded it to descr...
Example
The ancient fortress commanded the mountain pass with intimidating strategic position
这座古堡以令人生畏的战略位置控制着山口
来龙去脉
lái lóng qù màiThe whole story; causes and effects
Literal: Coming dragon and going veins
This idiom originates from Chinese geomancy (feng shui), where 'dragon' (龙) refers to mountain ranges and 'veins' (脉) to their extensions. Geomancers traced the 'coming dragon' and 'going veins' to understand the landscape's energy flow. The phrase evolved to mean tracing the origins and development...
Example
Before making a decision, we need to understand the full context.
做决定之前，我们需要了解事情的来龙去脉。
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