📖 Meaning
To pour boiling water on snow. It metaphorically describes something that produces an immediate and obvious effect, or a task that is extremely easy to accomplish, as snow instantly melts when doused with hot water.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Han Dynasty text 'Huainanzi' (《淮南子》), specifically the chapter 'Bing Lue Xun' (Military Strategy), compiled by Liu An and his scholars around 139 BCE. The original passage compares overwhelming military force to pouring boiling water on snow or extinguishing fire with water, asking how such power could ever fail. It illustrates that when conditions overwhelmingly favor one side, success is inevitable and effortless.
💡 Example Usage
敌军已是强弩之末，我军此时出击，犹以汤沃雪，必可大获全胜。
The enemy forces were already at their last gasp; if our army struck now, it would be like pouring boiling water on snow and victory would be certain.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 以汤沃雪
- Pinyin: yǐ tāng wò xuě
- Literal Translation: use, boiling water, pour, snow
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4