堆积如山 (duī jī rú shān) — (idiom) to pile up like a mountain; to accumula…

Definition

An idiom describing things (work, problems, objects) piling up in overwhelming quantity, like a mountain. Used as a vivid intensifier when the sheer volume is the point.

idiom

to pile up like a mountainto accumulate in huge quantities

Examples

堆积如山，。
Tā de shū zhuō shàng shū jí duī jī rú shān, jī hū méi yǒu kòng wèi.
His desk is piled with books like a mountain, leaving almost no space.
堆积如山，。
Zuì jìn gōng zuò duī jī rú shān, wǒ měi tiān dōu yào jiā bān.
Recently work has piled up like a mountain; I have to work overtime every day.
堆积如山，。
Wèn tí duī jī rú shān, wǒ men xū yào jǐn kuài jiě jué.
Problems have piled up like a mountain; we need to solve them quickly.

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.

土隹堆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

土土tǔearth

Sound part声符shēngfú

隹

隹zhuī堆duī

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堆 is built from 土 (earth) and 隹, which supplies the sound.

Open 堆 →

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 積; 积 is its simplified writing.

禾責積

Meaning part形符xíngfú

禾禾hé

Sound part声符shēngfú

責

責zé積jī

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 積 pairs 禾 (grain) with 責, which gives the sound; the simplified 积 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 积 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

女口如

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒumouth

Sound part声符shēngfú

女

女nǚ如rú

Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

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