📖 Meaning
Like a stone sinking into water without any resistance. It metaphorically describes people who get along harmoniously and understand each other at once, or words and proposals that are readily accepted without opposition.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces to the Liezi (《列子·说符》), where Bai Gong asked Confucius 'If one throws a stone into water, what would happen?' Confucius replied that a skilled diver from the state of Wu could retrieve it. Later, Li Xiaoyuan of Cao Wei (三国·魏), in his essay Yun Ming Lun (《运命论》), wrote that when one met Liu Bang, founder of the Han dynasty, his words were like a stone thrown into water - nothing went against them. The image conveys effortless accord and harmony between speaker and listener.
💡 Example Usage
他的建议提出后如石投水，众人无不赞同。
After his proposal was put forward it met no opposition - everyone agreed, like a stone sinking into water.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 如石投水
- Pinyin: rú shí tóu shuǐ
- Literal Translation: like, stone, throw, water
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4