惊天地 (jīng tiān de) — to shake heaven and earth; world-shaking (of deeds, events, or achievements)
Definition
Literary set phrase (成语) meaning 'to shake heaven and earth' — used only in writing to praise deeds, battles, or achievements as earth-shattering. Almost always paired with 泣鬼神 in the pair 惊天地泣鬼神.
verb
to shake heaven and earthworld-shaking (of deeds, events, or achievements)
Examples
- 惊天地，。Tā de yīng xióng shì jì jīng tiān de, gǎn dòng le wú shù rén.His heroic deeds shook heaven and earth, moving countless people.
- 惊天地，。Zhè chǎng zhàn yì jīng tiān de, gǎi biàn le zhěng gè guó jiā de mìng yùn.This battle was world-shaking, changing the fate of the entire nation.
- 惊天地，。Tā lì xià le jīng tiān de de gōng xūn, yǒng zǎi shǐ cè.He achieved earth-shaking merits, forever recorded in history.
Origin
Compound word构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object
An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.
惊 conveys startling, while 天 and 地 mean heaven and earth, so the whole suggests shaking heaven and earth.
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