📖 Meaning
Shoulders rubbing against each other and sleeves touching one another. It describes a scene where people are densely packed together in a bustling crowd. The idiom conveys a sense of overwhelming congestion and liveliness.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase is a classical compound with no single definitive literary source attributed to it. It draws on imagery found in various ancient texts describing crowded marketplaces, festivals, and thoroughfares. Similar constructions appear across Tang and Song dynasty writings where authors sought to depict the density of urban life. The idiom has been used for centuries to evoke the sensation of being immersed in a sea of people.
💡 Example Usage
节日期间王府井大街上肩摩袂接热闹非凡。
During the holidays, Wangfujing Street was packed shoulder to shoulder and buzzing with extraordinary excitement.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 肩摩袂接
- Pinyin: jiān mó mèi jiē
- Literal Translation: shoulders rub, sleeves join
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4