📖 Meaning
Describes the common people being trapped as if in mire and fire. It depicts a situation where the masses suffer extreme hardship and misery, often due to war, tyranny, or disaster.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the 'Charge to Zhonghui' (仲虺之诰) chapter of the Book of Documents (尚书), an ancient text recording speeches from early Chinese history. When King Tang of Shang was overthrowing the Xia dynasty, his minister Zhonghui declared that the tyrant King Jie of Xia had been so morally corrupt that 'the people had fallen into mire and charcoal.' This powerful metaphor of suffering later crystallized into the four-character idiom used to condemn any ruler or era that brought widespread misery upon the populace.
💡 Example Usage
战乱连年，致使万民涂炭，百姓流离失所。
Years of endless warfare drove the people into misery, leaving the common folk displaced and homeless.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 万民涂炭
- Pinyin: wàn mín tú tàn
- Literal Translation: ten thousand, people, mud, charcoal
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4