📖 Meaning
This idiom describes breaking through the clouds and the Milky Way, symbolizing soaring to extraordinary heights or transcending ordinary limits. It conveys a sense of immense ambition and the power to overcome formidable barriers to reach the heavens.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom has no specific recorded literary origin. It combines the verb '披' (to cleave or break through) with '霄汉' (the firmament and the Milky Way), drawing on classical Chinese poetic imagery of cosmic barriers. The phrase reflects the traditional literary device of using celestial imagery to express grand ambition, extraordinary achievement, or the spirit of someone who refuses to be confined by worldly bounds.
💡 Example Usage
少年志向远大，立志披霄决汉，成就一番伟业。
The young man harbored grand ambitions, determined to break through the heavens and achieve great things.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 披霄决汉
- Pinyin: pī xiāo jué hàn
- Literal Translation: cleave clouds, break Milky Way
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4