📖 Meaning
Water drops freeze into ice as soon as they fall. It describes extremely cold weather, so frigid that even dripping water turns instantly to ice. Used to emphasize the severity of winter cold.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Song Dynasty work 'Nanbu Xinshu' (南部新书) by Qian Yi (钱易), which describes harsh winters so cold that dripping water freezes into ice. The expression captures the bitter cold of deep winter in northern China. It later appeared in Ming Dynasty vernacular literature, such as Feng Menglong's (冯梦龙) 'Yushi Mingyan' (喻世明言), cementing its place in common literary usage.
💡 Example Usage
寒冬腊月，滴水成冰，他依然坚持每天清晨出门跑步。
In the depths of winter, when dripping water froze into ice, he still insisted on going out for a run every morning.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 滴水成冰
- Pinyin: dī shuǐ chéng bīng
- Literal Translation: dripping water forms ice
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4