一窝蜂 (yī wō fēng) — (idiom) like a swarm of bees; all rushing at on… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An idiom for people rushing or acting in a disorganized crowd, like a swarm of bees. Usually used as a vivid adverbial (一窝蜂地 + verb) to describe chaotic, impulsive group behavior.

idiom

like a swarm of beesall rushing at oncein a chaotic crowd

Examples

一窝蜂。
Dà jiā yī wō fēng dì chōng jìn chāo shì qiǎng gòu.
Everyone rushed into the supermarket to panic-buy like a swarm of bees.
，一窝蜂。
Kàn dào dǎ zhé, gù kè men yī wō fēng dì wéi le guò qù.
Seeing the discount, customers swarmed around all at once.
一窝蜂，。
Bú yào yī wō fēng dì zuò jué dìng, yào lěng jìng sī kǎo.
Don't make decisions impulsively like a swarm of bees; think calmly.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

一窝one nest

一yīone窝wōnest

偏正Modifier + head

一窝 means one nest, 蜂 means bees, so it describes a crowd rushing together.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 窩; 窝 is its simplified writing.

穴咼窩

Meaning part形符xíngfú

穴穴xuécave

Sound part声符shēngfú

咼

咼wāi窩wō

Same sound today

The traditional form 窩 uses 穴, a cave, for meaning and 咼 for sound; the simplified 窝 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

虫夆蜂

Meaning part形符xíngfú

虫虫chónginsect

Sound part声符shēngfú

夆

夆páng蜂fēng

Same sound today

蜂 puts 虫, showing an insect, beside 夆, which gives its sound.

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