司空见惯
司空见惯 (sī kōng jiàn guàn) literally means “minister of works sees it habitually” and expresses “so common as to attract no attention”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: si kong jian guan, si kong jian guan,司空见惯 meaning, 司空见惯 in english
So common as to attract no attention
Pronunciation: sī kōng jiàn guàn
Literal meaning: Minister of Works sees it habitually
Origin & Usage
This idiom originates from a Tang Dynasty story where the poet Liu Yuxi visited Minister of Works (司空) Li Shen. When beautiful courtesans performed, Liu composed a poem noting that such sights were habitual (见惯) to the minister. The phrase evolved to describe anything so common it no longer attracts attention. Modern usage describes phenomena that have become routine through frequency, losing their ability to surprise or impress.
Examples
English: "Traffic jams have become so common that no one complains anymore."
Chinese: 交通堵塞已经司空见惯，没人再抱怨了。
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Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
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qīng chē shú lù
Be experienced; find something easy due to familiarity
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万无一失
wàn wú yī shī
Absolutely sure; foolproof
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扶摇直上
fú yáo zhí shàng
Rise rapidly; soar straight up
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一帆风顺
yī fān fēng shùn
Plain sailing; everything going smoothly
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稳扎稳打
wěn zhā wěn dǎ
Proceed steadily; consolidate before advancing
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qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo
Travel a great distance
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民富国强
mín fù guó qiáng
Prosperous people and powerful nation
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国泰民安
guó tài mín ān
National peace and public security
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 司空见惯 mean in English?
司空见惯 (sī kōng jiàn guàn) literally translates to “Minister of Works sees it habitually” and is used to express “So common as to attract no attention”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 司空见惯 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving so common as to attract no attention.
What is the pinyin for 司空见惯?
The pinyin pronunciation for 司空见惯 is “sī kōng jiàn guàn”.