作鸟兽散 (zuò niǎo shòu sàn) — (idiom) to scatter in all directions; to flee helter-skelter; stampede

Definition

A vivid chengyu (literally "scatter like birds and beasts") for a crowd breaking apart in panic — stronger and more literary than simply saying 四散逃跑 ("flee in all directions"). Often used for mobs, crowds, or routed troops dispersing suddenly.

idiom
to scatter in all directionsto flee helter-skelterstampede

Examples

  • ，作鸟兽散。
    Jǐng chá yí dào, nà xiē xiǎo fàn jiù zuò niǎo shòu sàn le.
    As soon as the police arrived, the vendors scattered in all directions.
  • ，作鸟兽散。
    Tīng dào bào zhà shēng, rén qún lì kè zuò niǎo shòu sàn.
    Hearing the explosion, the crowd immediately fled helter-skelter.
  • 作鸟兽散，。
    Dí jūn bèi dǎ bài hòu zuò niǎo shòu sàn, táo jìn le shān lǐ.
    After being defeated, the enemy troops scattered like birds and beasts and fled into the mountains.

Origin

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鳥; 鸟 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 鳥 came from a drawing of a bird with a dangling tail; the simplified 鸟 is a later abbreviation.

Open 鸟 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 獸; 兽 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 獸 combines 單 (hunting weapon) and 犬 (dog) to show hunting; the simplified 兽 is a shorthand.

Open 兽 →

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

  • 林林líntrees, forest
  • 攴攴pūto knock, to tap

散 combines 林 (trees or forest) and 攴 (to knock or tap), originally showing knocking to clear vegetation, later extended to breaking up or dispersing.

Open 散 →

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