顿开茅塞 — “Suddenly become enlightened”
顿开茅塞 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Suddenly become enlightened”. Have one's mind opened; suddenly understand a profound truth or principle. Literally, “Suddenly open the thatch-blocked mind”.
Frequency
顿开茅塞 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 顿dùn
- 开kāi
- 茅máo
- 塞sè
顿开茅塞 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 顿开茅塞
经过老师耐心细致的讲解，他终于顿开茅塞，明白了这道难题的解法。
After the teacher's patient and detailed explanation, he finally became enlightened and understood the solution to this difficult problem.
Origin and Story of 顿开茅塞
During the Warring States period, a man named Gaozi was inconsistent in his studies, often giving up halfway.
Mencius criticized him, saying, "A narrow path on a mountain, if frequently walked, will become a wide road. But if no one walks on it for a while, it will be overgrown and blocked by thatch. Your mind is similarly blocked by thatch, which prevents you from making progress."
Idioms Related to 顿开茅塞
Synonyms of 顿开茅塞
Antonyms of 顿开茅塞
More idioms starting with 顿
- dùn顿kǒu口zhuō拙sāi腮tongue-tied and awkward in speech
- dùn顿kǒu口wú无yán言struck dumb and speechless
- dùn顿xué学lěi累gōng功Dullards succeed through diligent study
- dùn顿cuò挫yì抑yáng扬rhythmic rise and fall
- dùn顿gāng纲zhèn振jì纪Rectify principles and revive discipline
- dùn顿jiǎo脚chuí捶xiōng胸stamp feet and beat chest in distress
- dùn顿fù腹zhī之yán言heartfelt sincere profound remarks
- dùn顿zú足bù不qián前halt and hesitate, unwilling to move forward
- dùn顿zú足shī失sè色stamp feet and turn pale with fright
- dùn顿zú足liè捩ěr耳utterly helpless and at a loss
- dùn顿zú足chuí捶xiōng胸stamp feet and beat chest in grief or rage
- dùn顿zú足cuō搓shǒu手to show great anxiety, regret, or impatience
Questions about 顿开茅塞
- What does 顿开茅塞 mean?
- 顿开茅塞 (dùn kāi máo sè) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Suddenly become enlightened”.
- How do you pronounce 顿开茅塞?
- 顿开茅塞 is pronounced dùn kāi máo sè in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 顿开茅塞 literally mean?
- Literally, 顿开茅塞 means “Suddenly open the thatch-blocked mind”. It is used to mean “Suddenly become enlightened”.
- Where does 顿开茅塞 come from?
- 顿开茅塞 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 顿开茅塞?
- 顿：立刻；茅塞：喻人思路闭塞或不懂事。比喻思想忽然开窍，立刻明白了某个道理。