📖 Meaning
To narrate or describe things in a plain, sequential manner without embellishment. It can denote clear straightforward writing, but often carries a negative sense of being flat, dull, and lacking emphasis. It is a variant of the more common form "平铺直叙".
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant form of "平铺直叙," which has been used in Chinese literary criticism for centuries to describe plain, unadorned narration. No single classical text is credited as its exclusive source; it evolved from common literary commentary evaluating prose style. The variant "序" (to narrate in order) appears in place of "叙" in some texts, carrying the same meaning of sequential, unembellished storytelling.
💡 Example Usage
这篇文章平铺直序，读起来缺少吸引力。
This article is written in a flat, sequential manner and lacks appeal when read.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 平铺直序
- Pinyin: píng pù zhí xù
- Literal Translation: flat, lay out, straight, narrate
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4