📖 Meaning
To shake heaven and earth. Describes an overwhelming sound or a tremendous force and momentum. Used for things of immense power or scale that seem to disturb the very heavens and the earth.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the commentary by Pei Songzhi on the Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi), specifically in the Biography of Emperor Wen of Wei. When Emperor Wen (Cao Pi) of the Cao Wei dynasty passed away in the seventh year of the Huangchu era (226 AD), the lament described the moment as one where heaven and earth trembled. A similar expression also appears in Li Daoyuan's Commentary on the Water Classic (Shuijing Zhu), where the surging waters of the Yellow River are described as crashing with a force that shakes heaven and earth.
💡 Example Usage
阅兵场上炮声轰鸣，撼天震地，令人热血沸腾。
The roar of artillery on the parade ground shook heaven and earth, stirring everyone's blood.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 撼天震地
- Pinyin: hàn tiān zhèn dì
- Literal Translation: shake heaven, quake earth
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4