📖 Meaning
It refers to chilling sweet melons in cool spring water and sinking red plums in ice during the height of summer. The idiom paints a picture of a leisurely, refined way of escaping the heat by savoring cold fruits.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to a letter titled 'Letter to Wu Zhi, Magistrate of Chaoge' written by Cao Pi, who would become Emperor Wen of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. The original line reads 'float sweet melons in clear springs, sink red plums in cold ice', depicting the elegant summer pastime of aristocrats and literati. Over time the phrase was condensed into the four-character idiom used today to evoke carefree summer enjoyment.
💡 Example Usage
盛夏时节，一家人围坐庭中，浮瓜沉李，好不惬意。
On a midsummer day, the family sits together in the courtyard, enjoying chilled melons and plums—how delightful it is.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 浮瓜沉李
- Pinyin: fú guā chén lǐ
- Literal Translation: float melon, sink plum
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4