📖 Meaning
To possess immense power capable of reversing an extremely difficult or seemingly hopeless situation. The imagery evokes someone who can turn the sun and move the heavens, suggesting authority that overrides natural order.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin titled 'Song of Old Chang'an' (《长安古意》). In the poem, Lu describes the arrogance and unchecked power of powerful generals and ministers in the capital, who vie with one another for dominance without yielding. The line describes how these grandees wield power so great it can 'turn the sun and return the sky,' yet they refuse to concede to one another. The idiom later came to symbolize overwhelming influence capable of overturning desperate circumstances.
💡 Example Usage
他权倾朝野，转日回天之力无人能及。
His power dominated the court; his ability to reverse the irretrievable was matched by no one.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 转日回天
- Pinyin: zhuǎn rì huí tiān
- Literal Translation: turn the sun, return the sky
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4