📖 Meaning
Dead wood blooms with flowers. It metaphorically describes finding hope or survival in a desperate situation, like a miracle occurring when all seems lost. It can also refer to something impossible actually coming true.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms' (三国志), specifically in the Biography of Liu Yan (魏志·刘弇传) from the Wei section. The original text reads: 'Raising smoke from cold ashes, producing flowers on withered wood.' This vivid imagery conveys the idea of impossible transformations. The metaphor has been used in classical literature to describe miraculous reversals of fortune.
💡 Example Usage
他本以为公司已无药可救，没想到新投资一到，竟如枯木生花般起死回生了。
He thought the company was beyond saving, but when the new investment arrived, it revived like dead wood blooming with flowers.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 枯木生花
- Pinyin: kū mù shēng huā
- Literal Translation: dead wood, produce, flower
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4