声势浩大 (shēng shì hào dà) — an impressive display of power, influence, or scale; grand and momentous

Definition

Idiom meaning a grand, mighty display of power or scale (events, parades, movements). Often used to describe state-led or public actions, with a more imposing tone than 'large-scale'.

idiom
an impressive display of powerinfluenceor scalegrand and momentous

Examples

  • 声势浩大，。
    Zhè cì guó jì zhǎn lǎn huì shēng shì hào dà, xī yǐn le quán qiú shù bǎi jiā qǐ yè cān zhǎn.
    This international exhibition was grand and impressive, attracting hundreds of companies from around the world.
  • 声势浩大，。
    Guó qìng yuè bīng shì shēng shì hào dà, zhǎn shì le guó jiā de qiáng dà shí lì.
    The National Day military parade was an impressive display of power, showcasing the country's great strength.
  • 声势浩大，。
    Zhèng fǔ qǐ dòng le shēng shì hào dà de huán bǎo xuān chuán yùn dòng, hào zhào quán mín cān yù.
    The government launched a large-scale environmental publicity campaign, calling on all citizens to participate.

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.

声势sound and momentum
声shēngsound势shìmomentum
联合Side by side
浩大vast and great
浩hàovast大dàgreat
联合Side by side

声势 is sound and momentum, and 浩大 is vast and great, so the whole describes a force that seems vast and impressive.

Characters in this word

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 聲; 声 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
殸
殸qìng聲shēng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聲 pairs 耳 (ear) with 殸 as a sound part; the simplified 声 is a shorthand and does not show those original parts.

Open 声 →

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 勢; 势 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìpower
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì勢shì
Same sound today

The traditional form 勢 combines 力, meaning power, with 埶 for the sound. The simplified 势 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 势 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
告
告gào浩
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape pairs 水, water, with 告, which gives the sound.

Open 浩 →

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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