📖 Meaning
This idiom refers to two ancient myths: Nüwa mending the sky with five-colored stones and Xihe bathing the sun in the Sweet Spring. It metaphorically describes great achievements or extraordinary feats, especially the ability to transform nature and accomplish monumental tasks.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom combines two mythological stories from ancient China. The first comes from the 'Huainanzi' (淮南子), which records how the goddess Nüwa melted five-colored stones to repair the broken sky after a great catastrophe. The second comes from the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas' (山海经), which tells of Xihe, the mother of the ten suns, who bathed each sun in the Sweet Spring (甘渊) before it rose into the sky. Together, these stories symbolize the ultimate human (or divine) power to reshape the natural world.
💡 Example Usage
他带领团队攻克难关，可谓补天浴日之功。
He led his team to overcome great difficulties, achieving feats as monumental as mending the sky and bathing the sun.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 补天浴日
- Pinyin: bǔ tiān yù rì
- Literal Translation: mend sky, bathe sun
- Category: Success
- Characters: 4