📖 Meaning
A variant of '一目十行' (reading ten lines at a glance). It describes reading extremely quickly, scanning several lines of text in a single look. The idiom emphasizes exceptional reading speed and comprehension.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Qing dynasty work '觚剩续编' by Niu Xiu (钮琹), in the chapter '英豪举动'. It recounts how Xiong Tingbi, a Ming dynasty official known for his martial bearing, served as education superintendent in Jiangnan. He personally graded all examination papers, arranging them across a long table with a jar of wine and a sword beside him. Holding his brush, he read through the papers at a glance of several lines each, demonstrating both his formidable efficiency and his commanding personality.
💡 Example Usage
他自幼聪颖过人，读书一目数行，过目不忘。
He was extraordinarily gifted from childhood, reading several lines at a glance and never forgetting what he had read.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一目数行
- Pinyin: yī mù shù háng
- Literal Translation: one, glance, several, lines
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4