天女散花 (tiān nǚ sàn huā) — (idiom) profuse scattering of petals, snowflakes, or other objects; used as a vivid simile

Definition

A classical chengyu literally meaning 'a heavenly maiden scattering flowers' — used as a vivid simile for petals, snow, or confetti drifting gracefully through the air.

idiom
profuse scattering of petalssnowflakesor other objectsused as a vivid simile

Examples

  • ，天女散花。
    Dà xuě fēn fēn yáng yáng, jiù xiàng tiān nǚ sàn huā yí yàng měi lì.
    The heavy snow falls thick and fast, as beautiful as celestial maidens scattering blossoms.
  • ，天女散花。
    Fēng chuī guò, yīng huā tiān nǚ sàn huā bān piāo luò xià lái.
    The wind blows, and cherry blossoms fall like celestial maidens scattering blossoms.
  • ，，天女散花。
    Qìng zhù huó dòng zhōng, cǎi zhǐ mǎn tiān fēi wǔ, rú tóng tiān nǚ sàn huā.
    During the celebration, confetti flew all over the sky, just like celestial maidens scattering blossoms.

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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

女 shows a woman with folded arms, kneeling or standing. In the modern form the figure faces right, and the small enclosed part is what is left of one arm.

Open 女 →

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 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

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