商羊鼓舞 — “An omen or a sign that presages a major impending event”

商羊鼓舞 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an omen or a sign that presages a major impending event”. Often a significant change or a difficult situation, similar to how the mythical Shang Yang bird's dance portends heavy rain. Literally, “Shang Yang dances and beats its wings”.

Frequency

商羊鼓舞 Pronunciation and Pinyin

商羊鼓舞 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
商	shāng	11	trade, discuss, merchant
羊	yáng	6	sheep or goat
鼓	gǔ	13	drum, beat, rouse, swell
舞	wǔ	14	to dance

Example Sentence with 商羊鼓舞

最近股市的异常波动，似乎是商羊鼓舞，预示着经济形势即将迎来重大调整。

The recent abnormal fluctuations in the stock market seem to be a "Shang Yang drum dance," presaging a major adjustment in the economic situation.

Origin and Story of 商羊鼓舞

During the Spring and Autumn period, in the State of Qi, a peculiar one-legged bird flew above the palace and landed in front of the main hall. It began hopping vigorously on its single leg.

The Marquis of Qi found this very strange, as he had never encountered such a sight. He dispatched an envoy to the State of Lu to consult Confucius.

Confucius explained that this bird was called Shang Yang. He said that its behavior, resembling a child playing hopscotch while flapping its wings, was a sign that a torrential downpour was imminent.