惊涛骇浪 (jīng tāo hài làng) — literal: terrifying waves; raging seas; figurative: a perilous situation; a life full of danger and upheaval

Definition

A chengyu for terrifying, towering waves — used literally for raging seas and figuratively for a life or situation full of danger and upheaval. Stronger and more literary than plain 波涛.

idiom
literal: terrifying wavesraging seasfigurative: a perilous situationa life full of danger and upheaval

Examples

  • 惊涛骇浪，。
    Tā de yì shēng jīng lì le wú shù jīng tāo hài làng, dàn cóng wèi fàng qì.
    He experienced countless storms in his life, but never gave up.
  • ，惊涛骇浪。
    Zài shāng chǎng shàng, bì xū xué huì miàn duì gè zhǒng jīng tāo hài làng.
    In the business world, you must learn to face all kinds of perilous situations.
  • 惊涛骇浪，。
    Nà chǎng zhàn zhēng dài lái le jīng tāo hài làng, bǎi xìng shēng huó zài shuǐ shēn huǒ rè zhī zhōng.
    That war brought raging storms, and the people lived in extreme suffering.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

惊涛terrifying waves
惊jīngterrifying涛tāowaves
偏正Modifier + head
骇浪frightening waves
骇hàifrightening浪làngwaves
偏正Modifier + head

The two balanced parts, 惊涛 and 骇浪, describe terrifying waves and raging seas.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
京
京jīng惊jīng
Same sound today

惊 is made from 忄 (heart) and 京, which gives the sound.

Open 惊 →

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 濤; 涛 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
壽
壽shòu濤tāo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濤 pairs 氵 (water) with 壽, which gives the sound; the simplified 涛 is a shortened form.

Open 涛 →

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 駭; 骇 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
亥
亥hài駭hài
Same sound today

The traditional form 駭 pairs 馬 (horse) with 亥 as a sound part; 骇 is the simplified form.

Open 骇 →

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shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng浪làng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

浪 pairs 水 (water) with 良, which supplies the sound. The water part points to its meaning of waves.

Open 浪 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.