走马看花 — “To make a hasty and superficial observation”
走马看花 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a hasty and superficial observation”. To take a cursory glance; to skim through without deep understanding. Literally, “ride a horse and look at flowers”.
走马看花 Pronunciation and Pinyin
走马看花 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 走马看花
Origin and Story of 走马看花
In the mid-Tang Dynasty, there lived a renowned poet named Meng Jiao. Despite his talent and diligence, his path to officialdom was fraught with difficulty, failing the imperial examinations multiple times. Poor but upright, he resolved to rely on his own abilities.
In 797 AD, Meng Jiao finally passed the imperial examination, attaining the Jinshi degree. Overjoyed, he donned new attire, adorned himself with ribbons, and rode a magnificent horse through Chang'an. The city's beauty coupled with his triumph inspired him to write the famous poem 'After Passing the Imperial Examination': 'The squalid past is unworthy of boast, Today's wild spirits know no coast. In the spring breeze, my horse's hooves fly fast, In one day, all Chang'an's flowers I've seen at last.' These lines vividly captured his elation.
The phrase '走马看花' (riding a horse to view flowers) originated from this poem, initially conveying a feeling of joy and exhilaration while taking in sights quickly. Over time, its meaning evolved to describe merely glancing at something in a hurried and superficial manner, without deep appreciation or understanding.
Idioms Related to 走马看花
Synonyms of 走马看花
Antonyms of 走马看花
More idioms starting with 走
- zǒu走xià下pō坡lù路to decline or deteriorate
- zǒu走wán丸nì逆bǎn坂pursue a goal counterproductively
- zǒu走wéi为shàng上zhāo着retreat is the best strategy
- zǒu走wéi为shàng上cè策Running away is the best strategy
- zǒu走wéi为shàng上jì计retreat is the best strategy
- zǒu走xiāng乡suí随xiāng乡When in Rome, do as the Romans do
- zǒu走le了hé和shang尚zǒu走bù不le了miào庙You can't escape your responsibilities
- zǒu走qīn亲fǎng访yǒu友visit relatives and friends
- zǒu走fú伏wú无dì地nowhere to hide
- zǒu走nán南chuǎng闯běi北travel extensively, experiencing many places
- zǒu走jí及bēn奔mǎ马run as fast as a galloping horse
- zǒu走hòu后mén门gain advantage through favoritism
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Open the tool →Questions about 走马看花
What does 走马看花 mean?
走马看花 (zǒu mǎ kàn huā) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a hasty and superficial observation”.
How do you pronounce 走马看花?
走马看花 is pronounced zǒu mǎ kàn huā in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 走马看花 literally mean?
Literally, 走马看花 means “ride a horse and look at flowers”. It is used to mean “to make a hasty and superficial observation”.
Where does 走马看花 come from?
走马看花 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 走马看花?
走马：骑着马跑。骑在奔跑的马上看花。原形容事情如意，心境愉快。后多指大略地观察一下。