📖 Meaning
A metaphor for possessing a grand and heroic spirit. It describes someone whose ambition and vigor are so magnificent that they seem able to grasp the wind and soar through the clouds. The idiom conveys extraordinary aspiration and commanding presence.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Ming Dynasty work '凤阳陈方氏赠二代碑铭' (Inscription for the Chen-Fang Family of Fengyang) by the renowned scholar Song Lian. The inscription describes how the great men and noble scholars of the era all 'grasped the wind and leapt through the clouds,' exhaling yang and inhaling yin, ascending to the highest heavens. Song Lian used this vivid imagery to portray the boundless ambition and heroic spirit of those who achieved greatness.
💡 Example Usage
他年少时便拏风跃云，立志要干一番大事业。
Even in his youth he had a soaring, heroic spirit, determined to achieve great things.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 拏风跃云
- Pinyin: ná fēng yuè yún
- Literal Translation: seize, wind, leap, cloud
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4