📖 Meaning
Describes a situation of great turmoil and disturbance where not even chickens and dogs can remain at peace. It paints a vivid picture of utter chaos that affects every living thing in the vicinity.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom appears in Liu Zongyuan's famous Tang dynasty prose piece "捕蛇者说" (On the Snake Catcher), written circa 805–815 AD. Liu contrasts the deadly but rare danger of catching poisonous snakes with the far worse suffering inflicted by corrupt officials who extort taxes relentlessly. He writes that when the tax collectors come, even chickens and dogs cannot rest, yet catching venomous snakes is preferable to living under such oppressive governance.
💡 Example Usage
自从那帮流氓搬来后，整条街鸡犬不宁，居民苦不堪言。
Ever since that gang of thugs moved in, the whole street has been in an uproar, and the residents are miserable.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鸡犬不宁
- Pinyin: jī quǎn bù níng
- Literal Translation: chicken, dog, not, peaceful
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4