📖 Meaning
Originally refers to King Wen of Zhou dreaming of a flying bear, which portended his discovery of the sage Jiang Ziya. It is used metaphorically as a sign that a wise ruler is about to obtain a worthy minister or great talent.
📜 Origin Story
According to the Records of the Grand Historian (史记·齐太公世家), King Wen of the Zhou dynasty, before setting out to hunt, performed divination that foretold his catch would be neither dragon, beast, tiger, nor bear, but the helper of a would-be hegemon. Legend adds that he dreamed of a flying bear and took it as a sign to seek out a great sage. During the hunt he encountered Jiang Ziya fishing at the Wei River, appointed him his chief advisor, and together they laid the groundwork for Zhou's conquest of the Shang. The idiom thus came to symbolize the auspicious sign of a sage ruler gaining a worthy minister.
💡 Example Usage
周文王飞熊入梦，遂于渭水之滨访得姜太公，共图大业。
When King Wen of Zhou dreamed of a flying bear, he went to the banks of the Wei River and found Jiang Taigong, together pursuing their great ambitions.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 飞熊入梦
- Pinyin: fēi xióng rù mèng
- Literal Translation: flying, bear, enters, dream
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4