哀鸿遍野 — “Widespread suffering and destitution”
哀鸿遍野 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Widespread suffering and destitution”. Often due to famine, war, or natural disaster, with people crying out in distress. Literally, “Mournful geese filling the fields”.
哀鸿遍野 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 哀āi
- 鸿hóng
- 遍biàn
- 野yě
哀鸿遍野 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 哀鸿遍野
Origin and Story of 哀鸿遍野
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, King Li appointed Rong Yigong as a high official. Rong Yigong's cruel exploitation and insatiable greed plunged the common people into extreme hardship, with widespread suffering and lamentations filling the land. He even deployed sorcerers to spy on the words and actions of the populace, creating an atmosphere of pervasive fear.
Eventually, the enraged people rose up and overthrew King Li.
When King Xuan succeeded to the throne, he visited the city's outskirts with his ministers. There, he observed the dismal sight of 'wild geese flying, crying mournfully,' symbolizing the vast number of people displaced and suffering.
Idioms Related to 哀鸿遍野
Synonyms of 哀鸿遍野
Antonyms of 哀鸿遍野
More idioms starting with 哀
- āi哀sī丝háo豪zhú竹sorrowful and stirring instrumental music
- āi哀yuè乐xiāng相shēng生joy and sorrow are interdependent
- āi哀bīng兵bì必shèng胜Grieved soldiers will surely triumph
- āi哀gào告bīn宾fú服plead for mercy and submit
- āi哀āi哀yù欲jué绝profoundly sorrowful and on the verge of collapse
- āi哀āi哀fù父mǔ母Alas, my dear parents!
- āi哀xǐ喜jiāo交bìng并mingled joy and sorrow
- āi哀shēng声tàn叹qì气sigh in grief or dejection
- āi哀tiān天jiào叫dì地wail to heaven and earth
- āi哀sī思rú如cháo潮overwhelming sorrow like a surging tide
- āi哀gǎn感zhōng中nián年sorrow and melancholy in middle age
- āi哀gǎn感tiān天dì地profound sorrow that moves heaven and earth
Questions about 哀鸿遍野
- What does 哀鸿遍野 mean?
- 哀鸿遍野 (āi hóng biàn yě) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Widespread suffering and destitution”.
- How do you pronounce 哀鸿遍野?
- 哀鸿遍野 is pronounced āi hóng biàn yě in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 哀鸿遍野 literally mean?
- Literally, 哀鸿遍野 means “Mournful geese filling the fields”. It is used to mean “Widespread suffering and destitution”.
- Where does 哀鸿遍野 come from?
- 哀鸿遍野 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 哀鸿遍野?
- 哀鸿：哀鸣的鸿雁。比喻啼饥号寒的灾民。比喻在天灾人祸中到处都是流离失所、呻吟呼号的饥民。