万人空巷 (wàn rén kōng xiàng) — (idiom) the whole city turns out; a massive crowd gathers; all the people come out to celebrate or welcome

Definition

An idiom describing a moment so extraordinary that everyone pours out of their homes into the streets — "the whole city turns out." Used for big celebrations, victories, or spectacles, not ordinary busy days.

idiom
the whole city turns outa massive crowd gathersall the people come out to celebrate or welcome

Examples

  • 万人空巷。
    Zuó tiān de qìng zhù huó dòng ràng zhěng zuò chéng shì wàn rén kōng xiàng.
    Yesterday's celebration made the whole city turn out.
  • ，万人空巷。
    Zú qiú jué sài shí, wàn rén kōng xiàng de shèng kuàng lìng rén nán wàng.
    During the football final, the spectacular scene of a massive crowd pouring into the streets was unforgettable.
  • ，万人空巷，。
    Jié rì qī jiān, jiē shàng wàn rén kōng xiàng, fēi cháng rè nao.
    During the festival, the streets were filled with crowds; it was very lively.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

万人many people
万wànten thousand人rénpeople
偏正Modifier + head
空巷empty the lanes
空kōngempty巷xiànglane
动宾Verb + object

万人 gives many people and 空巷 gives lanes emptied, showing everyone turns out.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 萬; 万 is its simplified writing.

For 万, the form 萬 was originally a picture of a scorpion, later borrowed for its sound to write 'ten thousand'; the scorpion picture is unrelated to that number.

Open 万 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave, hole
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng空kōng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

空 is built from 穴, a cave or hole, and 工, which gives the sound.

Open 空 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
己己jǐoneself
Sound part声符shēngfú
共
共gòng巷hàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

巷 is made from 共, read gòng, and 己, meaning 'oneself'.

Open 巷 →

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