书空咄咄 — “Writing 'duo duo' in the air”
书空咄咄 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to express deep astonishment, indignation, or sorrow, often by making gestures in the air or feeling a sense of things being extraordinary and inexplicable; to feel utterly bewildered”. Literally, “writing 'duo duo' in the air”.
书空咄咄 Pronunciation and Pinyin
书空咄咄 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 书空咄咄
Origin and Story of 书空咄咄
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Yin Hao, the Governor of Yangzhou, was at odds with the powerful general Huan Wen. Wang Xizhi advised Yin Hao to prioritize national interests, especially with the imminent threat from enemies.
However, Yin Hao disregarded this counsel and led a northern expedition, which resulted in repeated defeats. Consequently, he was stripped of his official position, demoted to a commoner, and exiled to Xin'an.
While in exile, he appeared to lead a carefree life, spending his days reading and composing poetry. Yet, he frequently wrote the four characters '咄咄怪事' (duōduō guàishì, meaning 'how extraordinary!' or 'what strange, unsettling things!') on paper, subtly revealing the indignation and deep sense of injustice he felt in his heart.
Idioms Related to 书空咄咄
More idioms starting with 书
- shū书bù不jìn尽yì意writing cannot fully express meaning
- shū书bù不jìn尽yán言Words cannot fully express meaning
- shū书bù不shì释shǒu手unable to put a book down
- shū书jiàn剑piāo飘líng零Wandering far from home with books and sword
- shū书tóng同wén文，，chē车tóng同guǐ轨unify and standardize systems
- shū书dāi呆zi子impractical intellectual
- shū书náng囊wú无dǐ底books and knowledge are inexhaustible
- shū书shēng声lǎng朗lǎng朗clear and resonant sound of reading
- shū书shēng声láng琅láng琅sound of reading aloud, clear and resonant
- shū书fù富wǔ五chē车Extremely learned from extensive reading
- shū书shēng生zhī之jiàn见impractical scholar's view
- shū书huà画mǎo卯yǒu酉clock in and out
Recommended tools
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Bingo Cards
Picture and word Bingo for your class
Open the tool →Questions about 书空咄咄
What does 书空咄咄 mean?
书空咄咄 (shū kōng duō duō) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to express deep astonishment, indignation, or sorrow, often by making gestures in the air or feeling a sense of things being extraordinary and inexplicable; to feel utterly bewildered”.
How do you pronounce 书空咄咄?
书空咄咄 is pronounced shū kōng duō duō in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 书空咄咄 literally mean?
Literally, 书空咄咄 means “writing 'duo duo' in the air”. It is used to mean “to express deep astonishment, indignation, or sorrow, often by making gestures in the air or feeling a sense of things being extraordinary and inexplicable; to feel utterly bewildered”.
Where does 书空咄咄 come from?
书空咄咄 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 书空咄咄?
为叹息、愤慨、惊诧的的典实。