蜻蜓点水 — “To do things superficially”
蜻蜓点水 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to do things superficially”. To scratch the surface; to touch lightly upon a subject without going into depth. Literally, “Dragonfly touches water”.
蜻蜓点水 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 蜻qīng
- 蜓tíng
- 点diǎn
- 水shuǐ
蜻蜓点水 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 蜻蜓点水
Origin and Story of 蜻蜓点水
During the reign of Emperor Suzong Li Heng of the Tang Dynasty, the celebrated poet Du Fu served as a 'Zuo Shiyi' (an eighth-rank imperial censor). He incurred Emperor Suzong's displeasure and was distanced for speaking up on behalf of an official who had been unjustly accused.
Feeling deeply troubled, Du Fu sought solace by the Qujiang River, where he composed verses. In his famous work 'Two Poems on Qujiang,' he wrote: 'Butterflies piercing flowers are seen deeply, dragonflies skimming the water fly gracefully. Convey this message to the passing spring light, let us appreciate each other for a while, without reluctance.'
The line '点水蜻蜓款款飞' (dragonflies skimming the water fly gracefully) vividly describes the light, fleeting touch of dragonflies on the water's surface, which later inspired the idiom to metaphorically describe a superficial approach to tasks, lacking depth.
Idioms Related to 蜻蜓点水
Antonyms of 蜻蜓点水
More idioms starting with 蜻
Questions about 蜻蜓点水
- What does 蜻蜓点水 mean?
- 蜻蜓点水 (qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to do things superficially”.
- How do you pronounce 蜻蜓点水?
- 蜻蜓点水 is pronounced qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 蜻蜓点水 literally mean?
- Literally, 蜻蜓点水 means “Dragonfly touches water”. It is used to mean “to do things superficially”.
- Where does 蜻蜓点水 come from?
- 蜻蜓点水 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 蜻蜓点水?
- 指蜻蜓在水面飞行时用尾部轻触水面的动作。比喻做事肤浅不深入。