📖 Meaning
Dark, heavy clouds fill the sky, often reddish in color, signaling that heavy snow is imminent. The term describes the overcast sky just before a snowstorm. It is commonly used in literature to set a cold, bleak atmosphere.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the 'Book of Songs' (诗经), specifically the 'Xiao Nán' section's poem 'Xìn Nán Shān' (信南山), which reads '上天同云，雨雪雰雰' — 'The heavens are covered with uniform clouds, and snow falls thickly.' Over time, '同云' (uniform clouds) evolved into '彤云' (red clouds), and the expression '彤云密布' became a standard literary phrase for a sky thick with snow-bearing clouds.
💡 Example Usage
隆冬时节彤云密布，不多时便纷纷扬扬下起了大雪。
In the depth of winter, thick clouds filled the sky, and before long heavy snow began to fall.
🏷️ Category
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🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 彤云密布
- Pinyin: tóng yún mì bù
- Literal Translation: red cloud densely spread
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4