水泄不通 (shuǐ xiè bù tōng) — (idiom) extremely crowded, packed to the point where no space is left

Definition

Idiom for a place so crowded that even water couldn't seep through — a vivid image of total, impassable congestion. Often used in news or writing to describe packed venues, traffic jams, or emergency scenes.

idiom
extremely crowded, packed to the point where no space is left

Examples

  • 水泄不通。
    Dì tiě zhàn lǐ jǐ dé shuǐ xiè bù tōng.
    The subway station was packed so tight you couldn't move.
  • ，水泄不通。
    Guǎng chǎng shàng rén shān rén hǎi, jiǎn zhí shuǐ xiè bù tōng.
    The square was a sea of people, absolutely packed.
  • 水泄不通。
    Guò nián shí huǒ chē zhàn bèi lǚ kè jǐ dé shuǐ xiè bù tōng.
    During the Spring Festival, the train station was crammed with travelers.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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 洩; 泄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
曳
曳yè洩xiè
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 洩, 氵 marks the water-related meaning, while 曳 gives the sound; the simplified 泄 is a later abbreviation.

Open 泄 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng通tōng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

通 pairs 辶, a part associated with movement, with 甬, which gives the sound.

Open 通 →

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