📖 Meaning
To lose confidence and feel discouraged due to failure or setbacks. It describes a state of low spirits and diminished willpower, essentially synonymous with '灰心丧气'.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the more common expression '灰心丧气'. The term '灰心' (gray heart) has been used in classical Chinese literature since the Tang dynasty to describe a loss of hope or enthusiasm. The phrase reflects the traditional Chinese metaphorical association between the heart as the seat of motivation and 'gray' or 'ashen' as a symbol of lifelessness. Over time, the variant '短气' (short spirit) emerged as an alternative to '丧气', both conveying a sense of deflated energy and diminished resolve.
💡 Example Usage
接连几次考试失败后，他变得灰心短气，不再努力学习了。
After failing several exams in a row, he became discouraged and stopped studying hard.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 灰心短气
- Pinyin: huī xīn duǎn qì
- Literal Translation: gray heart, short spirit
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4