📖 Meaning
卷帙 refers to books or their chapters and volumes. The idiom describes a situation where there is a great quantity of books, or a single work that is exceptionally voluminous. It conveys the sheer scale and bulk of written material.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Qing dynasty novel Qilu Deng (《歧路灯》) by Li Lüyuan, in its 96th chapter. In the story, a character remarks that because the work is so voluminous, he fears that paper prices would soar and his means would be insufficient to fund its printing. The passage reads, 'The volumes are vast and numerous; I also fear that paper prices will suddenly rise and my resources will not suffice.' The idiom thus came to denote works of enormous length or a great abundance of books.
💡 Example Usage
这部百科全书卷帙浩繁，共计三十余册。
This encyclopedia is voluminous, comprising over thirty volumes in total.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 卷帙浩繁
- Pinyin: juàn zhì hào fán
- Literal Translation: scrolls and volumes, vast, numerous
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4