TongTong
Sign in

兴风作浪 (xīng fēng zuò làng) — (chengyu) to deliberately stir up trouble; to make waves; to create disturbances

Definition

A chengyu meaning to deliberately stir up trouble or create disturbances, usually by someone with bad intent. The verb 作 has no object here — it works with 兴 to paint a vivid image of 'raising wind and waves.'

idiom
(chengyu) to deliberately stir up troubleto make wavesto create disturbances

Examples

  • 兴风作浪，。
    Tā zǒng shì zài tuán duì lǐ xīng fēng zuò làng, ràng dà jiā wú fǎ zhuān xīn gōng zuò.
    He is always stirring up trouble in the team, making it impossible for everyone to focus on work.
  • 兴风作浪，。
    Zhè xiē fǎn duì pài qǐ tú zài xuǎn jǔ qī jiān xīng fēng zuò làng, pò huài shè huì zhì xù.
    These opposition figures try to make waves during elections and disrupt social order.
  • 兴风作浪。
    Rèn hé shì tú zài shè qū lǐ xīng fēng zuò làng de rén dōu huì shòu dào qiǎn zé.
    Anyone who attempts to stir up trouble in the community will be condemned.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

兴风raise wind
兴xīngraise风fēngwind
动宾Verb + object
作浪make waves
作zuòmake浪làngwave
动宾Verb + object

Raise wind and make waves in parallel, giving the sense of stirring up trouble.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 興; 兴 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 興 shows four hands lifting an object; the simplified 兴 is not the form described.

Open 兴 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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 →

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 →
Appears in
Conflict & AgreementIdioms & Set Phrases

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