📖 Meaning
Having only one's own shadow as a companion. It describes a state of being completely alone and lonely, without any company. The idiom emphasizes the profound solitude where even one's shadow is the sole companion.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Yuan dynasty play 'Pipa Ji' (琵琶记) by Gao Ming (高明). In the fifth scene, a male character expresses his worry about leaving someone alone, saying he fears she would have no one to watch over her since she would be left with only her shadow. The phrase vividly captures the loneliness of having only one's body and shadow, with no companion nearby.
💡 Example Usage
自丈夫远行后，她便影只形单，独自抚养幼子。
Since her husband went on a long journey, she has been all alone, raising her young child by herself.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 影只形单
- Pinyin: yǐng zhī xíng dān
- Literal Translation: shadow, alone, form, single
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4