📖 Meaning
Free from worry and constraint, living a quiet and leisurely life. It describes a state of comfortable relaxation without external pressures or disturbances.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from Ming dynasty writer Feng Menglong's 'Yushi Mingyan' (Stories to Enlighten the World), Volume 14. The original passage reflects on how a person's daytime thoughts become nighttime dreams, noting that even one's sleeping soul is busy, leaving no room for leisurely ease. Feng Menglong was one of the most celebrated vernacular short story writers of the late Ming period, and his 'Three Words' collections are landmarks of classical Chinese fiction.
💡 Example Usage
退休后他种花养鸟，过着清闲自在的日子。
After retirement, he grows flowers and keeps birds, living a carefree and leisurely life.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 清闲自在
- Pinyin: qīng xián zì zài
- Literal Translation: clear, idle, self, at-ease
- Category: Lifestyle
- Characters: 4