📖 Meaning
The arrow strikes stone with such force that the feather fletching vanishes into it. It originally described archery of supernatural strength, and later came to refer to any superlative martial skill or concentrated power.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the 'Lüshi Chunqiu' (Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, circa 239 BCE), which records that the legendary archer Yang Youji (养由基) of the Chu state once mistook a stone for a rhinoceros and shot an arrow that buried itself completely, feather and all. A similar story is told of the Han dynasty general Li Guang (李广), who shot an arrow into a stone believing it to be a tiger. Both tales illustrate that absolute concentration and sincerity of intent can produce extraordinary power.
💡 Example Usage
这位老将虽年过花甲，箭术依然射石饮羽，令人叹服。
Though past sixty, this veteran general can still shoot through stone and bury the feather, earning everyone's admiration.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 射石饮羽
- Pinyin: shè shí yǐn yǔ
- Literal Translation: shoot, stone, drink, feather
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4