📖 Meaning
To behave as if nothing were happening, remaining calm and composed in an emergency or crisis. It can also describe someone who turns a blind eye to bad behavior or wrongdoing, appearing unconcerned. The phrase conveys an attitude of unflappable composure.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom traces back to the Mencius (《孟子·离娄下》), a text from the Warring States period. Mencius praised the legendary sage-king Yu for controlling the floods by following the natural flow of water, acting as though nothing extraordinary were being done. Over time, the phrase came to describe a person who remains unruffled in pressing situations, and by extension someone who treats serious matters with apparent indifference.
💡 Example Usage
大火蔓延时，他行若无事地指挥众人撤离，丝毫不见慌乱。
As the fire spread, he calmly directed everyone to evacuate, showing no sign of panic.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 行若无事
- Pinyin: xíng ruò wú shì
- Literal Translation: act, as if, no, matter
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4