庞然大物 — “A massive and bulky object”
庞然大物 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a massive and bulky object”. (figuratively) something that appears formidable or powerful but is in reality weak or ineffectual, a paper tiger. Literally, “Colossal object”.
庞然大物 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 庞páng
- 然rán
- 大dà
- 物wù
庞然大物 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 庞然大物
Origin and Story of 庞然大物
Long ago, donkeys were unheard of in the Guizhou region of China. One day, an enthusiastic person brought a donkey from the north and let it graze at the foot of a mountain.
A tiger living on the mountain soon noticed this "this colossal object." Initially, the tiger watched from a distance, filled with caution and curiosity. Slowly, it began to approach the unfamiliar creature.
The donkey's loud bray startled the tiger immensely, making it retreat. However, after continued observation, the tiger realized that the donkey's only defense was to kick with its hooves and it had no other formidable skills.
Understanding this, the tiger pounced on the donkey and made a hearty meal of it.
This story teaches that something appearing large and powerful might actually be weak and easily conquered.
Idioms Related to 庞然大物
Questions about 庞然大物
- What does 庞然大物 mean?
- 庞然大物 (páng rán dà wù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a massive and bulky object”.
- How do you pronounce 庞然大物?
- 庞然大物 is pronounced páng rán dà wù in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 庞然大物 literally mean?
- Literally, 庞然大物 means “Colossal object”. It is used to mean “a massive and bulky object”.
- Where does 庞然大物 come from?
- 庞然大物 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 庞然大物?
- 庞然：高大的样子。指高大笨重的东西。现也用来形容表面上很强大但实际上很虚弱的事物。