纷至沓来 (fēn zhì tà lái) — (idiom) to keep pouring in; to come in a continuous stream; to arrive thick and fast

Definition

A literary chengyu meaning things or people arrive one after another in overwhelming numbers — 'to pour in thick and fast.' Use for formal writing, not everyday speech.

idiom
to keep pouring into come in a continuous streamto arrive thick and fast

Examples

  • 纷至沓来，。
    Shēn qǐng xìn fēn zhì tà lái, ràng zhāo shēng bàn gōng shì máng de bù kě kāi jiāo.
    Application letters kept pouring in, keeping the admissions office extremely busy.
  • 纷至沓来，。
    Yóu kè fēn zhì tà lái, zhè zuò gǔ chéng yíng lái le lǚ yóu wàng jì.
    Tourists came thick and fast, and this ancient city entered its peak travel season.
  • 纷至沓来，。
    Xīn de tiǎo zhàn fēn zhì tà lái, dàn tā shǐ zhōng chén zhuó yìng duì.
    New challenges kept coming, but he remained calm and composed in dealing with them.

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.

纷至
纷fēnin succession至zhìarrive
偏正Modifier + head
沓来
沓tàcrowded来láicome
偏正Modifier + head

The images 纷至 and 沓来 both show things arriving one after another.

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 紛; 纷 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
分
分fēn紛fēn
Same sound today

The form 紛 is built from 糸, a meaning part, and 分, a sound part.

Open 纷 →

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

至 is drawn as an arrow stuck into the ground.

Open 至 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The form 沓 is built from a picture of water and a picture of something being said.

Open 沓 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Open 来 →

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