📖 Meaning
To remain calm and composed, maintaining a natural and unflustered demeanor regardless of circumstances. It describes someone whose bearing stays serene even under pressure or in danger. Synonymous with 意气自若.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the 'Biography of General Li' (李将军列传) in Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian (史记), written during the Western Han dynasty. It recounts a battle in which the famed Han general Li Guang (李广) was vastly outnumbered by the Xiongnu forces. As dusk fell, his officers and soldiers were so terrified that the color drained from their faces, yet Li Guang remained perfectly composed and even more attentively organized his troops. The phrase '意气自如' was used to capture his legendary equanimity in the face of mortal danger.
💡 Example Usage
面对数百位观众的尖锐提问，他意气自如，对答如流。
Facing sharp questions from hundreds in the audience, he remained perfectly composed and answered with effortless fluency.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 意气自如
- Pinyin: yì qì zì rú
- Literal Translation: spirit, disposition, naturally, as-is
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4