📖 Meaning
Literally meaning 'a thousand li with one bend,' referring to the Yellow River flowing a great distance yet making a wide, casual bend. It is used metaphorically to describe someone whose behavior is casual and unconstrained, not fussing over minor details.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals (《公羊传·文公十二年》), a Han dynasty text. It explains why the River is used as a geographic marker: the riverbed at the bend is wide and sparse, and the Yellow River flows a thousand li yet makes one grand bend. The commentary uses this imagery of the river's sweeping, unconstrained course to convey a sense of looseness and lack of rigidity.
💡 Example Usage
他为人豁达，千里一曲，从不与人计较琐事。
He is open-minded and easygoing, never fussing over trivialities.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 千里一曲
- Pinyin: qiān lǐ yī qǔ
- Literal Translation: thousand, li, one, bend
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4