风吹雨打 — “To be exposed to wind and rain”

风吹雨打 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be exposed to wind and rain”. To undergo severe tests or hardships; to be buffeted by adversities. Literally, “wind blows and rain beats”.

Frequency

风吹雨打 Pronunciation and Pinyin

风吹雨打 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
风	fēng	4	wind, air current, custom
吹	chuī	7	to blow; to brag; to fail
雨	yǔ	8	water falling from clouds
打	dǎ	5	to hit, strike, or play

Example Sentence with 风吹雨打

小草在风吹雨打中依然坚韧地生长着。

The small grass still grows tenaciously despite being buffeted by wind and rain.

Origin and Story of 风吹雨打

Du Fu spent ten years in Chang'an living a life dependent on others.

In 755 AD, the An Lushan Rebellion erupted, and Tong Pass fell. Du Fu, at the age of forty-five, set out to join Emperor Suzong, but was captured en route. Six months later, he escaped and met Suzong in Pengyuan County, where he was appointed Zuo Shiyi (Left Remonstrant).

Not long after, he was demoted to Huazhou Sigong Canjun. Three years later, a severe famine struck the Guanzhong region. Several of Du Fu's children succumbed to starvation, making life impossible to sustain. He had no choice but to relinquish his official position and seek refuge in Chengdu.

With the assistance of friends, he built a thatched cottage and enjoyed a few years of relative peace. One day, while strolling by the river, Du Fu suddenly caught a whiff of fragrant blossoms. It turned out that the catalpa trees along the riverbanks were sparsely in bloom. Du Fu sighed, lamenting, "It would be better if the wind blew them all away while I was drunk, for how can I bear to see them scattered by the rain when sober?"

Soon after, his friend passed away, and the incessant warfare in Shu (present-day Sichuan) resumed. Du Fu's life of wandering began anew.