📖 Meaning
Everyone present in the gathering is astonished. It describes a situation where someone's words or actions surprise all the people seated at an event. The idiom conveys a collective sense of amazement among an audience.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the 'Records of the Three Kingdoms' (三国志), in the biography of Wang Can (王粲) from the Wei section. Wang Can was one of the Seven Scholars of Jian'an during the late Eastern Han dynasty. Despite his young age and short, unimposing stature, his extraordinary literary talent astonished everyone present when he arrived at a gathering. The original text records that 'when Can arrived, being young and weak in appearance and short in stature, the entire gathering was surprised.' Later, the Ming dynasty writer Li Zhi used the phrase in his 'Chutan Ji' to describe a similar scene of collective amazement.
💡 Example Usage
他年方十二便能即席赋诗，一座皆惊，皆叹此子日后必成大器。
At only twelve years old he could compose poetry on the spot, astonishing everyone present, who all sighed that this boy would surely achieve greatness in the future.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 一座皆惊
- Pinyin: yī zuò jiē jīng
- Literal Translation: one, seat, all, surprised
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4