地动山摇 (dì dòng shān yáo) — earthshaking; literally 'the earth quakes and mountains move' — describes violent shaking or upheaval; (figurative) earthshaking, momentous, of great impact

Definition

Idiom from the literal image of the earth quaking and mountains swaying; used for catastrophic shaking or, figuratively, a 'seismic' event with enormous impact.

idiom
earthshakingliterally 'the earth quakes and mountains move' — describes violent shaking or upheaval(figurative) earthshakingmomentousof great impact

Examples

  • 地动山摇，。
    Bào zhà shēng dì dòng shān yáo, zhěng gè chéng shì dōu gǎn jué dào le.
    The explosion was earthshaking; the whole city felt it.
  • 地动山摇。
    Zhè chǎng gé mìng de yǐng xiǎng kě yǐ shuō shì dì dòng shān yáo.
    The impact of this revolution can be described as earthshaking.
  • 地动山摇，。
    Dì zhèn lái shí dì dòng shān yáo, dà jiā dōu hěn hài pà.
    When the earthquake came, the earth quaked and mountains shook — everyone was terrified.

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.

地动earth moves
地dìearth动dòngmove
主谓Subject + predicate
山摇mountains shake
山shānmountain摇yáoshake
主谓Subject + predicate

The earth moves and mountains shake: 地动 and 山摇 together convey violent shaking.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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

山 shows three mountain peaks side by side.

Open 山 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

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