📖 Meaning
Short hair signifies old age, while a long heart signifies deep cunning. The idiom describes an elderly person who possesses great wisdom and shrewdness. It highlights how age and experience can bring profound strategic insight.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Zuo Zhuan (左传), a classical Chinese historical text covering the Spring and Autumn period, specifically from the third year of Duke Zhao's reign. The original passage states that someone whose hair is thin from age yet whose mind is deeply calculating may pose a hidden threat. The remark was made to warn of an elderly figure whose outward frailty belied sharp strategic thinking. Over time, the phrase evolved into the four-character idiom 发短心长, emphasizing the combination of old age and deep wisdom.
💡 Example Usage
这位老者发短心长，谋略深远，令众人不敢轻视。
The old man's thinning hair belied a deeply calculating mind, commanding respect from all.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 发短心长
- Pinyin: fà duǎn xīn cháng
- Literal Translation: hair short, heart long
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4