📖 Meaning
Describes a scene where people are constantly coming and going, creating a lively and crowded atmosphere. It conveys a sense of busy thoroughfare filled with foot traffic and commercial activity.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to Sima Qian's 'Records of the Grand Historian' (史记·货殖列传), written during the Western Han dynasty. The original text states: 'The world bustles for profit; the world hurries for profit.' Sima Qian observed that all human activity—people coming and going in great numbers—is ultimately driven by the pursuit of material gain. Over time, the expression '熙来攘往' evolved to describe any bustling, crowded scene of people moving about.
💡 Example Usage
节日的商业街上熙来攘往，十分热闹。
The commercial street was bustling with people coming and going on the festival day, very lively.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 熙来攘往
- Pinyin: xī lái rǎng wǎng
- Literal Translation: prosperous, come, bustling, go
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4