胸有丘壑
胸有丘壑 (xiōng yǒu qiū hè) literally means “hills and valleys in heart” and expresses “have great vision”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving success and perseverance.
Also searched as: xiong you qiu he, xiong you qiu he,胸有丘壑 meaning, 胸有丘壑 in english
Have great vision
Pronunciation: xiōng yǒu qiū hè Literal meaning: Hills and valleys in heart
Origin & Usage
Hills (丘) and ravines (壑) already inside the chest (胸有). The phrase belongs to landscape painting, where the whole terrain was expected to exist in the painter's mind before the brush touched the silk — the same claim 胸有成竹 makes about a stalk of bamboo, and the two are near neighbours. What distinguishes this one is scale: bamboo is a single object, and a landscape is a world with distances inside it. The people it fits turn out to have a fully formed conception behind an unremarkable manner, and what it implies is depth rather than planning.
Examples
English: "The architect had a clear vision for the city's transformation"
Chinese: 建筑师对城市的改造有着清晰的愿景
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about success & perseverance
悬梁刺股
xuán liáng cì gǔ
Study extremely hard
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望其项背
wàng qí xiàng bèi
Come close enough to rival — usually negated
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浩浩荡荡
hào hào dàng dàng
Moving in overwhelming numbers
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见微知著
jiàn wēi zhī zhù
Foresee big from small signs
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追本溯源
zhuī běn sù yuán
Trace back to source
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察言观色
chá yán guān sè
Read between lines
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胸有成竹
xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
Have clear plan beforehand
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运筹帷幄
yùn chóu wéi wò
Plan strategy carefully
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 胸有丘壑 mean in English?
胸有丘壑 (xiōng yǒu qiū hè) literally translates to “Hills and valleys in heart” and is used to express “Have great vision”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Success & Perseverance category.
When is 胸有丘壑 used?
Situation: The architect had a clear vision for the city's transformation
What is the pinyin for 胸有丘壑?
The pinyin pronunciation for 胸有丘壑 is “xiōng yǒu qiū hè”.
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