📖 Meaning
To open one's heart and drink freely, without any restraint or inhibition. The idiom describes a state of complete abandon and joyous celebration, usually in the company of good friends. It conveys not just the act of drinking, but the emotional release and camaraderie that accompany it.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom first appeared in the third act of the Yuan dynasty play 'Shooting Willows and Beating the Pill' (《射柳棰丸》) by an anonymous author. In the play, a character orders wine and food to be prepared so that everyone can celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival together, drinking heartily without reservation. The phrase later gained wider circulation through its use in the Ming dynasty novel 'Water Margin' (《水浒传》), where the character Li Kui is described as drinking with abandon, completely forgetting the warnings given by Song Jiang.
💡 Example Usage
老友重逢，众人开怀畅饮，直到深夜才散。
When old friends reunited, everyone drank heartily and without restraint, not parting until late into the night.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 开怀畅饮
- Pinyin: kāi huán chàng yǐn
- Literal Translation: open, bosom, unrestrained, drink
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4