4 characters Idiom and proverb 15 434

After learning basic characters, the next level in Chinese is combining them into words, and then idioms. This free guide helps you understand advanced idioms like 「扇火止沸」. Meaning and usage are below.

The idiom 「扇火止沸」 is the focus of our introduction today, and its explanation and application are listed below.

Boil: to boil, means the water is boiling. Stop the water from boiling by fanning the fire. A metaphor for taking measures that are exactly the opposite of the desired goal.

The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :

shàn huǒ zhǐ fèi

while its Cantonese pinyin is :

sin3 fo2 ji2 fai3

Chinese idioms are vast in number, each carrying unique meanings and usages. With such variety, there’s a lot to learn and appreciate. Hopefully, these resources will aid you on your journey to mastering Chinese.