牛鬼蛇神 — “Ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods”
牛鬼蛇神 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Monsters and demons (literally: ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods); originally used to describe something surreal, fantastic, or grotesque. Later, it refers to various evil or undesirable elements/people in society, often used to describe those who cause trouble or are morally corrupt”. Literally, “Ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods”.
牛鬼蛇神 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 牛niú
- 鬼guǐ
- 蛇shé
- 神shén
牛鬼蛇神 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 牛鬼蛇神
Origin and Story of 牛鬼蛇神
During the Tang Dynasty, the gifted but short-lived poet Li He left behind many famous poems, such as 'When the mighty cock crows, the world turns white' and 'Dark clouds press upon the city as if to crush it.' These lines are still recited today.
The poet Du Mu even wrote a preface for Li He's poems, in which he evaluated Li He's work, stating: 'The whale swallowing and the leviathan tossing, along with the ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods, are not enough to describe their surreal and fantastical nature.'
It is from this quote that the idiom '牛鬼蛇神' (niú guǐ shé shén) originated, originally describing something fantastical and bizarre, later evolving to describe various evil or undesirable elements in society.
Idioms Related to 牛鬼蛇神
Synonyms of 牛鬼蛇神
More idioms starting with 牛
- niú牛bù不hē喝shuǐ水qiǎng强àn按tóu头You can't force an unwilling person
- niú牛bù不hē喝shuǐ水nán难àn按jiǎo角You can't force a person against their will
- niú牛bù不yǐn饮shuǐ水qiáng强àn按tóu头You can't force an ox to drink
- niú牛zhī之yī一máo毛a drop in the ocean
- niú牛nóng农duì对qì泣impoverished couple weeping together
- niú牛dāo刀gē割jī鸡overkill for a trivial task
- niú牛dāo刀xiǎo小shì试display significant talent in a minor task
- niú牛kǒu口zhī之xià下A humble or inferior position
- niú牛tīng听tán弹qín琴explain profound things to an uncomprehending person
- niú牛tóu头bù不duì对mǎ马zuǐ嘴irrelevant or incongruous
- niú牛tóu头bù不duì对mǎ马miàn面irrelevant answer or complete mismatch
- niú牛tóu头ā阿páng旁ox-headed demon guard of hell
Questions about 牛鬼蛇神
- What does 牛鬼蛇神 mean?
- 牛鬼蛇神 (niú guǐ shé shén) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Monsters and demons (literally: ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods); originally used to describe something surreal, fantastic, or grotesque. Later, it refers to various evil or undesirable elements/people in society, often used to describe those who cause trouble or are morally corrupt”.
- How do you pronounce 牛鬼蛇神?
- 牛鬼蛇神 is pronounced niú guǐ shé shén in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 牛鬼蛇神 literally mean?
- Literally, 牛鬼蛇神 means “Ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods”. It is used to mean “Monsters and demons (literally: ox-headed devils and snake-bodied gods); originally used to describe something surreal, fantastic, or grotesque. Later, it refers to various evil or undesirable elements/people in society, often used to describe those who cause trouble or are morally corrupt”.
- Where does 牛鬼蛇神 come from?
- 牛鬼蛇神 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 牛鬼蛇神?
- 牛头的鬼，蛇身的神。原形容虚幻怪诞。后比喻社会上形形色色的坏人。