📖 Meaning
Literally means to rise into the sky and dive into the earth. It describes someone possessing extraordinary supernatural powers and abilities. It is also used metaphorically to describe someone going to great lengths and searching everywhere to achieve a goal.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Tang Dynasty work 'Xu Xuan Guai Lu' (续玄怪录) by Li Fuyan (李复言), in the chapter about Lu Pu She Cong Shi. The text describes a Daoist practitioner who has mastered the art of body refinement, transforming from a formless state into a tangible three-foot form, after which he could ascend to heaven and descend into earth, ride clouds and cranes, and undergo infinite transformations with nothing beyond his reach. Over time, the phrase evolved to describe both extraordinary capability and relentless effort in pursuit of a goal.
💡 Example Usage
为了找到失踪的孩子，他上天入地，四处奔波。
To find his missing child, he searched everywhere, leaving no stone unturned.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 上天入地
- Pinyin: shàng tiān rù dì
- Literal Translation: ascend to heaven, enter the earth
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4