📖 Meaning
To rush about in all directions, running east and west. It describes someone constantly on the move, traveling far and wide, often due to the pressures of making a living or pursuing a particular goal.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom first appears in a poem by the Yuan dynasty official and poet Wei Chu (魏初), titled 'Qinyuanchun — Parting Words for Zhang Zhouqing' (《沁园春·留别张周卿韵》). In the poem, Wei Chu laments the wearying life of official travel and separation from close friends, writing of how he had been 'rushing east and running west, with waters seeing him off and mountains welcoming him.' The phrase vividly captures the exhaustion and rootlessness of a life spent constantly on the road. Over time, it became a common expression for anyone forced to wander or hustle about for survival or ambition.
💡 Example Usage
为了养活一家人，他这些年东奔西走，吃了不少苦。
To support his family, he has been rushing about in all directions these past years and endured much hardship.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 东奔西走
- Pinyin: dōng bēn xī zǒu
- Literal Translation: east, rush, west, walk
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4