📖 Meaning
One's spirit and morale soar beyond the clouds and the Milky Way. It describes someone possessing tremendous courage, boldness, and commanding presence. The term 霄汉 refers to the high heavens—the clouds and the galaxy.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom does not trace to a single specific text but is built from classical Chinese literary components. The word 霄汉, meaning the clouds and the Milky Way, has been used since the Han dynasty to evoke the highest reaches of the sky. The character 逾 conveys surpassing or exceeding. Together the phrase paints a vivid image of noble spirit rising above the firmament, a motif common in Tang and Song poetry celebrating heroic resolve and moral courage.
💡 Example Usage
面对强敌，将士们气逾霄汉，誓死保卫家园。
Facing a formidable enemy, the soldiers' spirit soared beyond the heavens as they vowed to defend their homeland to the death.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 气逾霄汉
- Pinyin: qì yú xiāo hàn
- Literal Translation: spirit, surpass, clouds, Milky Way
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4