📖 Meaning
Originally described the extraordinary sound of the konghou (an ancient stringed instrument), so powerful it seemed to shatter stones and startle the heavens. It is now commonly used to describe writing, arguments, or discoveries that are strikingly original and astonishing.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom comes from the Tang Dynasty poem 'Li Ping Plays the Konghou' by the poet Li He, who was renowned for his bold and unconventional imagery. The poem depicts musician Li Ping's performance as so magnificent that at the very place where the goddess Nüwa once melted stones to repair the sky, the stones seemed to shatter and the heavens were startled, compelling autumn rain to fall. Li He's vivid metaphor captured the awe-inspiring power of the music. Over time the phrase evolved beyond music to describe remarkably original and startling works of literature, thought, or discovery.
💡 Example Usage
这项石破天惊的发现彻底改变了科学界对宇宙的认知。
This earth-shattering discovery completely changed the scientific community's understanding of the universe.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 石破天惊
- Pinyin: shí pò tiān jīng
- Literal Translation: stone, break, sky, startle
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4