如鸟兽散 — “To scatter in all directions like startled birds and frightened beasts”
如鸟兽散 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to scatter in all directions like startled birds and frightened beasts”. To flee in disarray; to disperse chaotically. Literally, “like birds and beasts scattering”.
如鸟兽散 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 如rú
- 鸟niǎo
- 兽shòu
- 散sàn
如鸟兽散 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 如鸟兽散
Origin and Story of 如鸟兽散
Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, appointed Li Ling, grandson of General Li Guang, as Cavalry Commandant, to guard the northern frontier.
On one occasion, Li Ling led five thousand troops from Juyan to attack Mount Junji within Xiongnu territory, decisively defeating thirty thousand Xiongnu soldiers. The Xiongnu Chanyu then dispatched an eighty-thousand-strong army to besiege them. The Han army, isolated and without reinforcements, was in a desperate situation.
Li Ling had no choice but to order the wounded and disabled soldiers to scatter like birds and beasts to avoid complete annihilation.
Idioms Related to 如鸟兽散
Synonyms of 如鸟兽散
More idioms starting with 如
- rú如bù不shèng胜yī衣extremely frail and thin
- rú如qiū丘ér而zhǐ止give up easily at first difficulty
- rú如sàng丧kǎo考bǐ妣as if one's parents had just died
- rú如lín临dà大dí敌as if facing a formidable enemy
- rú如lín临shēn深yuān渊extremely cautious as if on abyss brink
- rú如lín临shēn深gǔ谷extremely cautious as if on a cliff edge
- rú如zhī之nài奈hé何What can be done about it
- rú如rén人yǐn饮shuǐ水，，lěng冷nuǎn暖zì自zhī知only personal experience reveals true feelings
- rú如xiōng兄rú如dì弟like brothers
- rú如rù入bǎo宝shān山kōng空shǒu手huí回miss great opportunities
- rú如rù入wú无rén人zhī之dì地to move with great ease and boldness
- rú如rù入wú无rén人zhī之jìng境to advance effortlessly without resistance
Questions about 如鸟兽散
- What does 如鸟兽散 mean?
- 如鸟兽散 (rú niǎo shòu sàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to scatter in all directions like startled birds and frightened beasts”.
- How do you pronounce 如鸟兽散?
- 如鸟兽散 is pronounced rú niǎo shòu sàn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 如鸟兽散 literally mean?
- Literally, 如鸟兽散 means “like birds and beasts scattering”. It is used to mean “to scatter in all directions like startled birds and frightened beasts”.
- Where does 如鸟兽散 come from?
- 如鸟兽散 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 如鸟兽散?
- 象一群飞鸟走兽一样逃散。形容溃败逃散。也比喻集团或组织解散后，其成员各奔东西。