📖 Meaning
A thunderclap from a clear sky. This idiom metaphorically describes a sudden, unexpected event that comes as a shocking surprise, much like hearing thunder when the sky is cloudless.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the Song dynasty poet Lu You (陆游), who used it in his poem 'Written at Night on the Fourth Day Before the Rooster Crowed.' In the poem, Lu You compares himself to a dragon long dormant in hibernation that suddenly awakens and unleashes a thunderbolt across the clear sky, symbolizing a burst of creative inspiration after illness.
💡 Example Usage
这个消息如同青天霹雳，让全家人都愣住了。
This news came like a bolt from the blue, leaving the whole family stunned.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 青天霹雳
- Pinyin: qīng tiān pī lì
- Literal Translation: blue, sky, thunderbolt
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4