📖 Meaning
Chariots fill the road and horses crowd the gates. It describes a scene where guests and visitors are so numerous that their vehicles block the entrance to a residence. The idiom conveys a bustling, socially prominent household with constant visitors.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Ming dynasty play 'The Tale of the Pipa' (琵琶记) by Gao Ming (高明), specifically the scene 'Niu Xiang Teaches His Daughter' (牛相教女). The original line asks, before the gates of a high official's residence on a sandy embankment: why are chariots filling the road and horses crowding the gates? The phrase depicts the grandeur and social prominence of a powerful family whose home is constantly thronged with guests seeking favor.
💡 Example Usage
新科状元府前车填马隘，前来道贺的人挤满了整条街。
In front of the new top scholar's mansion, carriages filled the gates and horses crowded the road, as visitors coming to congratulate packed the entire street.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 车填马隘
- Pinyin: chē tián mǎ ài
- Literal Translation: chariots, fill, horses, crowd
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4