📖 Meaning
Answering questions as fluently and smoothly as flowing water. It describes someone who responds quickly, articulately, and without hesitation in conversation. The idiom conveys both nimbleness of mind and eloquence of speech.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Book of Jin (晋书), in the Biography of Zhang Hua. Zhang Hua was a renowned scholar-official of the Western Jin dynasty, celebrated for his encyclopedic knowledge and quick wit. The text records that 'Hua responded as fluently as flowing water, and those who listened forgot their weariness,' praising his ability to answer any question swiftly and eloquently. The phrase later became a standard expression for articulate and agile repartee.
💡 Example Usage
面对记者的提问，她应答如流，展现出深厚的学识。
Faced with the reporters' questions, she answered as fluently as flowing water, demonstrating her profound erudition.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 应答如流
- Pinyin: yìng dá rú liú
- Literal Translation: answer, reply, like, flowing water
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4