📖 Meaning
To part on bad terms or disperse unhappily. It describes a situation where people leave a gathering, meeting, or relationship in displeasure, usually after a disagreement, conflict, or embarrassment. The idiom emphasizes that the parting was marked by tension rather than goodwill.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Ming Dynasty writer Feng Menglong's collection 'Xingshi Hengyan' (Stories to Awaken the World), in the tale 'Huang Xiucai ji Lingyu Ma Zhui,' where the text notes that all the guests departed unhappily. It was later reused by the Qing Dynasty author Pu Songling in 'Liaozhai Zhiyi' (Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio), in the story 'Xin Shisiniang,' where a young nobleman leaves a gathering in great shame. The phrase has since become a common way to describe gatherings or negotiations that end in displeasure.
💡 Example Usage
双方谈判破裂，最终不欢而散。
The negotiations between the two sides broke down, and they parted on bad terms.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不欢而散
- Pinyin: bù huān ér sàn
- Literal Translation: not, happy, then, disperse
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4