如火如荼

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Chinese

as (if); such as
fire; angry; fierce
fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving
 
as (if); such as cogon spikes
trad. (如火如荼)
simp. #(如火如荼)

Etymology

From a statement in Guoyu describing how spectacular the Wu army was:

方陣 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
方阵𭤰 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Guoyu, circa 4th century BCE
Wàn rén yǐ wèi fāngzhèn, jiē bái shang, bái qí, sù jiǎ, bái yǔ zhī zēng, wàng zhī rú tú. Zuǒ jūn yì rú zhī, jiē chì shang, chì yú, dān jiǎ, zhū yǔ zhī zēng, wàng zhī rú huǒ. Yòu jūn yì rú zhī, jiē xuán shang, xuán qí, hēi jiǎ, wū yǔ zhī zēng, wàng zhī rú mò.
Ten thousand warriors form a phalanx , with white clothes, white banners, white armours, and white arrows, and they looked like cogon spikes. The army on the left also wore like this, with red clothes, red banners, red armours, and red arrows, and they looked like fire. The army on the left also wore like this, with black clothes, black banners, black armours, and black arrows, and they looked like ink.

Pronunciation


Idiom

如火如荼

  1. (literal) (to have) a mighty army like wildfire
  2. a daunting and vigorous momentum; flourishing; magnificent
    奧運比賽進行如火如荼 [MSC, trad.]
    奥运比赛进行如火如荼 [MSC, simp.]
    Àoyùn bǐsài jìnxíng dé rúhuǒrútú.
    The Olympic Games is in full swing.