七步成诗 — “To compose a poem in seven steps”
七步成诗 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to compose a poem in seven steps”. To describe someone's quick wit and exceptional literary talent, especially under pressure or with great speed. Literally, “Compose a poem in seven steps”.
七步成诗 Pronunciation and Pinyin
七步成诗 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 七步成诗
Origin and Story of 七步成诗
After Cao Cao's death, his eldest son Cao Pi ascended to the throne. Fearing his brothers might contend for the throne, Cao Pi acted preemptively, seizing military power from his second brother Cao Zhang and forcing his fourth brother Cao Xiong to commit suicide. Only the third brother, Cao Zhi, remained, and Cao Pi harbored deep resentment towards him. Therefore, he ordered Cao Zhi to take seven steps in the imperial hall and then compose an impromptu poem on the theme of 'brotherhood,' but without using the actual word 'brothers.' If he succeeded, he would be spared; otherwise, he would be executed.
Without hesitation, Cao Zhi immediately recited: 'Beans are boiled by burning beanstalks; the beans weep in the pot. Born from the same root, why are you so eager to torture each other?' This is the famous idiom 'Composing a Poem in Seven Steps'. Upon hearing this, Cao Pi shed tears and couldn't bring himself to kill him, instead demoting Cao Zhi to the Marquis of Anxiang.
Idioms Related to 七步成诗
Synonyms of 七步成诗
More idioms starting with 七
- qī七qī七bā八bā八more or less; in bits and pieces
- qī七shàng上bā八xià下agitated and restless
- qī七shàng上bā八luò落agitated and unsettled
- qī七le了bā八dāng当Everything is properly arranged and settled
- qī七shì事bā八shì事numerous and jumbled matters
- qī七dào倒bā八wāi歪in complete disarray
- qī七shí十èr二biàn变numerous and varied transformations
- qī七shí十èr二háng行all trades and professions
- qī七kǒu口bā八zuǐ嘴many people talking at once
- qī七zuǐ嘴bā八zhāng张many people talking at once
- qī七zuǐ嘴bā八shé舌many people talking at once
- qī七dà大bā八xiǎo小of varying or uneven sizes
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Open the tool →Questions about 七步成诗
What does 七步成诗 mean?
七步成诗 (qī bù chéng shī) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to compose a poem in seven steps”.
How do you pronounce 七步成诗?
七步成诗 is pronounced qī bù chéng shī in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 七步成诗 literally mean?
Literally, 七步成诗 means “Compose a poem in seven steps”. It is used to mean “to compose a poem in seven steps”.
Where does 七步成诗 come from?
七步成诗 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 七步成诗?
称人才思敏捷。