📖 Meaning
Literally describes a gentle slanting wind accompanied by light, fine rain. It evokes a soft, misty weather scene and is often used to depict a tranquil, poetic atmosphere rather than harsh conditions. Metaphorically, it can also refer to minor, mild troubles or a gentle approach to something.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Tang dynasty poem 'Yu Fu' (The Fisherman) by the poet Zhang Zhihe. The famous line reads: 'Wearing a green bamboo hat and a green straw raincoat, in the slanting wind and fine rain, there is no need to return home.' The poem portrays a fisherman so content amidst nature's gentle wind and drizzle that he has no desire to leave, expressing a carefree, hermit-like love of the natural world.
💡 Example Usage
春日的江南，斜风细雨中桃花悄然绽放。
On a spring day in Jiangnan, peach blossoms quietly bloom amid the slanting wind and fine rain.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 斜风细雨
- Pinyin: xié fēng xì yǔ
- Literal Translation: slanting, wind, fine, rain
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4