Chinese study involves characters, phrases, and idioms. This resource introduces 「偃旗息鼓」 as part of advanced learning. Explanation below.
The Chinese idiom we are introducing this time is 「偃旗息鼓」. You can find its meaning and application outlined below.
Yan: lying on your back, extended to mean falling down. Put down the flag and stop beating the drum. Originally it meant to conceal one’s whereabouts while marching so as not to be detected by the enemy. Now it is used to describe the end of something or the weakening of its momentum.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
yǎn qí xī gǔ
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
yin2 kei4 sik1 gu2
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.
