📖 Meaning
To profoundly shock and deeply affect someone, as if their very soul and spirit have been seized. It describes an experience so intense and overwhelming that it leaves a lasting, powerful impression on one's heart and mind. It is a variant of the expression 'jing hun duo po' (惊魂夺魄).
📜 Origin Story
This idiom appears in the literary magazine 'Huacheng' (Flower City), Issue 1 of 1981, in a passage describing scientists undergoing harrowing struggles to explore the mysteries of life. Unlike many classical idioms rooted in ancient historical texts, this phrase emerged from modern Chinese literature. It shares the same meaning and structure as the similar expression 'jing hun duo po' (惊魂夺魄), both conveying the sense of being deeply shaken and overwhelmed by an experience.
💡 Example Usage
那场惊魂摄魄的车祸让所有目击者久久无法平静。
That soul-seizing car accident left all the witnesses unable to calm down for a long time.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 惊魂摄魄
- Pinyin: jīng hún shè pò
- Literal Translation: startle, soul, seize, spirit
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4