📖 Meaning
To remain calm, composed, and at ease, behaving exactly as one normally would even under pressure or in an unusual situation. The idiom describes a person whose demeanor stays steady and unruffled regardless of the circumstances.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from chapter 22 of Dream of the Red Chamber (《红楼梦》) by the Qing dynasty novelist Cao Xueqin (18th century). In the passage, the character Xue Baochai, who is described as never speaking or acting rashly, is said to remain equally calm and composed in the given moment. The phrase 坦然自若 (unperturbed and at ease) thus entered common usage to describe someone who keeps an untroubled, normal manner in the face of difficulty or change.
💡 Example Usage
面对突发变故，他依然坦然自若地处理各项工作。
Facing the sudden turn of events, he still dealt with all the tasks calmly and composedly, just as usual.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 坦然自若
- Pinyin: tǎn rán zì ruò
- Literal Translation: calm, unperturbed, self, as if
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4