天马行空

Pronunciation: tiān mǎ xíng kōng Literal meaning: Heavenly horse crossing the sky

Origin & Usage

Han China imported horses from the far west and wrote about them extravagantly, as celestial creatures that sweated blood and could cover impossible distances; a heavenly horse (天马) moving through empty sky (行空) is that reputation taken to its limit. Later critics borrowed the image for writing that goes where it likes without harness. The phrase carries both readings still. Applied to imagination it is admiring, and applied to an argument or a plan it usually means that nothing in it is attached to the ground.

Examples

English: "His imagination knows no bounds, creating worlds that captivate everyone."

Chinese: 他的想象力无穷无尽，创造出迷住每一个人的世界。