📖 Meaning
To sigh deeply out of strong emotion such as grief, regret, or admiration. The idiom describes someone who, moved by circumstances, lets out a long, audible sigh. It often conveys helplessness or profound feeling in the face of an unchangeable situation.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Analects of Confucius, chapter 'Zi Han' (子罕), set in the Spring and Autumn period. When Confucius's foremost disciple Yan Yuan (颜渊, also known as Yan Hui) tried to grasp the depth of his master's teaching, he sighed deeply and exclaimed, 'The more I look up at it, the higher it seems; the more I bore into it, the harder it becomes.' This sigh expressed his awe before the boundless profundity of Confucius's wisdom. Later, the Eastern Han writer Feng Yan used the phrase in his essay 'Zi Lun Fu' (《自论赋》): 'At that time no one would heed his plans, so he sighed deeply, grieving that he had met with no favorable opportunity.'
💡 Example Usage
听到老友病逝的消息，他不禁喟然长叹。
Upon hearing the news of his old friend's death, he could not help but heave a long, deep sigh.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 喟然长叹
- Pinyin: kuì rán cháng tàn
- Literal Translation: with a sigh, long sigh
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4