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盛气凌人 (shèng qì líng rén) — (idiom) overbearing; acting in a domineering and arrogant way toward others

Definition

A chengyu describing someone who bullies or pushes others around with arrogance. 霸道 is similar but connotes more outright tyranny and force; 狂 focuses on wild or unrestrained behavior, not necessarily toward people.

idiom
overbearingacting in a domineering and arrogant way toward others

Examples

  • 盛气凌人。
    Tā nà zhǒng shèng qì líng rén de tài dù ràng rén hěn bù shū fu.
    His overbearing attitude makes people very uncomfortable.
  • 盛气凌人，。
    Zhè wèi jīng lǐ zǒng shì shèng qì líng rén, tóng shì men dōu pà tā.
    This manager is always domineering; his colleagues are all afraid of him.
  • 盛气凌人，。
    Nǐ shuō huà bié zhè me shèng qì líng rén, dà jiā shì píng děng hé zuò.
    Don't speak in such an overbearing way; we are cooperating as equals.

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
皿皿mǐn
Sound part声符shēngfú
成
成chéng盛shèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

盛 combines 成 as a sound part with 皿 as a meaning part; the 皿 side points to a vessel, which fits meanings such as hold and fill.

Open 盛 →

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 氣; 气 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
气
气qì氣qì
Same sound today

The traditional form 氣 pairs 米 (rice) with 气, which supplies the sound; the simplified 气 is a later abbreviation.

Open 气 →

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
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
夌
夌líng凌líng
Same sound today

In 凌, the left part 冫 relates to ice, while the right part 夌 gives the pronunciation.

Open 凌 →

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

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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