📖 Meaning
To soar into the sky in a single leap. It describes someone who shows no remarkable ability at first, but then suddenly achieves a stunning, breakthrough success that astonishes everyone.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from two classical texts. In Han Feizi, the philosopher Han Fei wrote of a bird that 'though it does not fly, once it does it soars to the heavens; though it does not cry out, once it does it startles everyone.' Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian recounts the story of King Zhuang of Chu, who spent his first three years on the throne indulging in pleasure and ignoring state affairs. When a minister challenged him with a riddle about a bird that neither flew nor sang for three years, the king replied that the bird would one day soar to the sky and amaze the world. Shortly after, he began governing decisively and became one of the era's great rulers.
💡 Example Usage
他默默准备了三年，终于在比赛中一飞冲天，夺得冠军。
After quietly preparing for three years, he finally soared to success in the competition and won the championship.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一飞冲天
- Pinyin: yī fēi chōng tiān
- Literal Translation: one, fly, soar, sky
- Category: Success
- Characters: 4