📖 Meaning
Literally meaning to chase after waves and drift with the current, this idiom metaphorically describes a person who lacks independent judgment and simply goes along with whatever is popular or fashionable. Such a person echoes others' opinions without forming their own views.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the Han dynasty writer Chen Lin's 'Call to Arms for Wu Generals and Their Subordinates' (檄吴将校部曲文), which criticized officials who mired themselves in complacency and drifted along with the tide without realizing it, noting that many who drifted with the currents perished alongside everyone else. Over time, the imagery of chasing waves and following currents came to symbolize those who lack conviction and blindly conform to prevailing trends.
💡 Example Usage
他毫无主见，凡事逐浪随波，从不表达自己的真实想法。
He has no opinions of his own, always drifting with the crowd and never expressing what he truly thinks.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 逐浪随波
- Pinyin: zhú làng suí bō
- Literal Translation: chase waves, follow currents
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4