📖 Meaning
Literally 'to open the door and see the mountain,' this idiom means to come straight to the point without beating around the bush. It describes speech or writing that is direct, candid, and gets to the heart of the matter from the very start.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Tang Dynasty poetry criticism, particularly associated with the poet and critic Yan Yu (严羽) in his work 'Canglang's Remarks on Poetry' (《沧浪诗话》). He praised poems that began directly with their main subject, like opening a door to immediately behold a mountain before one, rather than circling with ornamental preambles. The image reflects the Chinese aesthetic of clarity and directness in literary expression. Over time it became a widely used metaphor for straightforward communication in both writing and conversation.
💡 Example Usage
他一进门就开门见山地说出了自己的来意。
As soon as he walked in, he came straight to the point and stated his purpose.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 开门见山
- Pinyin: kāi mén jiàn shān
- Literal Translation: open, door, see, mountain
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4