📖 Meaning
Literally meaning 'unable to see the light of the sun,' this idiom is a metaphor for a society or situation so dark and oppressive that no trace of light or justice can be found. It describes circumstances where people live in misery with no hope of relief or fairness.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from 'Dongxuan Biji' (东轩笔录), a notebook by Wei Tai of the Song Dynasty. In the text, the people of Fuzhou lamented that they would go their entire lives without seeing the light of day, suffering under oppressive governance. The expression captured the despair of common people living under corrupt officials who denied them any justice or hope.
💡 Example Usage
在那不见天日的牢房里，他度过了整整十年。
He spent ten full years in that pitch-dark cell where no daylight ever reached.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 不见天日
- Pinyin: bù jiàn tiān rì
- Literal Translation: not, see, sky, sun
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4