What does 急如星火 mean?

急如星火 (jí rú xīng huǒ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely urgent”.

How do you pronounce 急如星火?

急如星火 is pronounced jí rú xīng huǒ in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 急如星火 literally mean?

Literally, 急如星火 means “as urgent as a meteor's flash”. It is used to mean “Extremely urgent”.

Where does 急如星火 come from?

急如星火 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 急如星火?

星火：流星。象流星的光从空中急闪而过。形容非常急促紧迫。

急如星火 — “Extremely urgent”

急如星火 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely urgent”. Requiring immediate action; of utmost urgency. Literally, “As urgent as a meteor's flash”.

Frequency

急如星火 Pronunciation and Pinyin

急jí
如rú
星xīng
火huǒ

急如星火 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
急	jí	9	urgent, anxious, or rapid
如	rú	6	like, as, if
星	xīng	9	star, celestial body
火	huǒ	4	fire, urgent, popular

Example Sentence with 急如星火

工厂的生产线突发故障，维修人员必须急如星火地赶到现场处理。

An unexpected malfunction occurred on the factory's production line, and maintenance personnel must rush to the site to deal with it with utmost urgency.

Origin and Story of 急如星火

During the Jin Dynasty, Li Mi, a high-ranking official from the former Shu Kingdom, returned to his hometown after Shu's fall to care for his 96-year-old grandmother.

Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, summoned him to serve as Tutor to the Crown Prince. However, Li Mi wished to remain with his grandmother and declined the offer.

He penned a memorial to the emperor, known as "Chen Qing Biao" (A Memorial to Express My Feelings), in which he stated, "The local prefectures are pressuring me, urging me to embark on the journey, and the provincial authorities are at my door, as urgent as a meteor's flash." He expressed his desire to serve the emperor only after he had fulfilled his duty to his grandmother.

Idioms Related to 急如星火

Synonyms of 急如星火

Antonyms of 急如星火

More idioms starting with 急

Questions about 急如星火

What does 急如星火 mean?: 急如星火 (jí rú xīng huǒ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Extremely urgent”.
How do you pronounce 急如星火?: 急如星火 is pronounced jí rú xīng huǒ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 急如星火 literally mean?: Literally, 急如星火 means “as urgent as a meteor's flash”. It is used to mean “Extremely urgent”.
Where does 急如星火 come from?: 急如星火 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 急如星火?: 星火：流星。象流星的光从空中急闪而过。形容非常急促紧迫。

Copy the pinyin for 急如星火 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.