📖 Meaning
Describes weather so bitterly cold that the wind feels like it is piercing through the skin and into the muscles. It conveys an extreme, penetrating chill that is physically uncomfortable. The idiom captures the visceral sensation of winter cold cutting right through one's clothing.
📜 Origin Story
Unlike many classical idioms originating from historical anecdotes or philosophical texts, 寒风侵肌 has no documented single source or story. It is a descriptive literary phrase that emerged organically from common usage in Chinese prose and poetry to depict harsh winter conditions. The phrase's vivid imagery — cold wind invading the very muscles — made it a natural and enduring expression in the Chinese lexicon. It reflects the broader Chinese literary tradition of using bodily sensation to convey environmental extremes.
💡 Example Usage
严冬时节，寒风侵肌，路上的行人都裹紧了棉衣。
In the depths of winter, the cold wind pierces to the bone, and pedestrians on the street wrap their padded coats tightly around themselves.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 寒风侵肌
- Pinyin: hán fēng qīn jī
- Literal Translation: cold, wind, invade, skin/muscle
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4