生龙活虎
生龙活虎 (shēng lóng huó hǔ) literally means “living dragon lively tiger” and expresses “full of energy”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: sheng long huo hu, sheng long huo hu,生龙活虎 meaning, 生龙活虎 in english
Full of energy
Pronunciation: shēng lóng huó hǔ Literal meaning: Living dragon lively tiger
Origin & Usage
A living (生) dragon (龙) and an active (活) tiger (虎). The two characters doing the work are 生 and 活, which both mean alive — the phrase is not simply comparing someone to powerful animals but insisting the animals are in motion. It describes physical vitality rather than character, and it belongs particularly to the young and to recovery: it is what Chinese says about children in a courtyard, and about someone up and about a week after everyone expected them to be in bed.
Examples
English: "The festival was filled with energetic performances, making the atmosphere vibrant and lively."
Chinese: 节日的表演充满了生龙活虎的气氛。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
虎踞龙盘
hǔ jù lóng pán
Commanding imposing strategic position
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卧虎藏龙
wò hǔ cáng lóng
Hidden talents or extraordinary people in an unassuming place
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龙腾虎跃
lóng téng hǔ yuè
A scene of vigorous activity
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触景生情
chù jǐng shēng qíng
Moved by the sight of something familiar
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乐极生悲
lè jí shēng bēi
Joy at its height turns to grief
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节外生枝
jié wài shēng zhī
Unnecessary complications
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老生常谈
lǎo shēng cháng tán
A stale platitude
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龙飞凤舞
lóng fēi fèng wǔ
Dynamic elegance
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 生龙活虎 mean in English?
生龙活虎 (shēng lóng huó hǔ) literally translates to “Living dragon lively tiger” and is used to express “Full of energy”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 生龙活虎 used?
Situation: The festival was filled with energetic performances, making the atmosphere vibrant and lively.
What is the pinyin for 生龙活虎?
The pinyin pronunciation for 生龙活虎 is “shēng lóng huó hǔ”.