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风吹草动 (fēng chuī cǎo dòng) — (chengyu) sign of disturbance or trouble; a hint of an upcoming (usually negative) change

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'the slightest sign of trouble or disturbance' — literally 'wind blowing, grass moving.' Used for any small hint that something may be wrong, so people become alert.

idiom
(chengyu) sign of disturbance or troublea hint of an upcoming (usually negative) change

Examples

  • ，风吹草动。
    Tā fēi cháng mǐn gǎn, yì diǎn fēng chuī cǎo dòng dōu huì ràng tā jǐn zhāng.
    He is very sensitive; even the slightest sign of trouble makes him nervous.
  • 风吹草动，。
    Zuì jìn gōng sī lǐ yǒu xiē fēng chuī cǎo dòng, dà jiā dōu hěn jǐng tì.
    Lately there have been some signs of trouble in the company, so everyone is on guard.
  • ，风吹草动，。
    Zài zhè duàn hé píng shí qī, méi yǒu fēng chuī cǎo dòng, rén mín shēng huó hěn ān dìng.
    During this peaceful period, there are no signs of disturbance, and people's lives are very stable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

风吹wind blows
风fēngwind吹chuīblow
主谓Subject + predicate
草动grass moves
草cǎograss动dòngmove
主谓Subject + predicate

风吹草动 puts 风吹 (wind blows) next to 草动 (grass moves) to suggest any small sign of disturbance.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

吹 pairs 口 (mouth) with 欠 (blow), giving the picture of air being blown from the mouth.

Open 吹 →

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

草 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 早, which gives the sound. The form originally referred to another word and was later used for the grass sense.

Open 草 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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