📖 Meaning
To be bareheaded and barefoot. It describes someone who is not wearing a hat or shoes, appearing unkempt or in a disheveled state. The phrase often conveys a sense of rustic simplicity, informality, or poverty and hardship.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记·张仪列传), which mentions valiant warriors fighting bareheaded. It also appears in the 'New History of the Five Dynasties' (新五代史·王彦章传), where the famously brave general Wang Yanzhang of the Later Liang is described as being so tough he could walk barefoot over thorns for a hundred paces. Over time, the compound phrase came to denote a state of being bareheaded and barefoot, whether from poverty, informality, or ruggedness.
💡 Example Usage
他科头跣足地冲进暴雨中，全然不顾旁人诧异的目光。
He dashed bareheaded and barefoot into the rainstorm, completely ignoring the astonished stares of passersby.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 科头跣足
- Pinyin: kē tóu xiǎn zú
- Literal Translation: bare head, bare feet
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4