📖 Meaning
To exert a subtle, imperceptible influence on someone or something over time. It describes how attitudes, habits, or beliefs can be gradually shaped without the person being consciously aware of the change.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the writings of the Northern Song dynasty scholar Liu Xiang (刘向), who recorded it in Shuoyuan (说苑·君道): '人之性，无所谓善与不善，唯随师之所移、潜移默化。' It was further popularized by the Qing dynasty scholar Gong Zizhen (龚自珍). The phrase emphasizes that character is not fixed at birth but is gradually moulded by one's environment, teachers, and surroundings, much as running water silently carves stone.
💡 Example Usage
父母的言传身教对孩子的性格有着潜移默化的影响。
Parents' words and deeds have a subtle, imperceptible influence on their child's character.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 潜移默化
- Pinyin: qián yí mò huà
- Literal Translation: dark, shift, silent, change
- Category: Learning
- Characters: 4