CHENGYU
八仙过海(bā xiān guò hǎi)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, approving
- Source:
- 明·无名氏《八仙过海》
MEANING
- Literal
- the eight immortals crossing the sea
- Figurative meaning
- each person showing their own special skill
ORIGIN STORY
In the folk tale, the Eight Immortals cross the East Sea to a banquet — and each uses his own magic: one rides a gourd, another a lotus, another a sword. The saying completes as 八仙过海，各显神通 — "each displays their divine power."
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“each with their own bag of tricks”
EXAMPLES
比赛中，选手们八仙过海，各显神通。Bǐsài zhōng, xuǎnshǒumen bā xiān guò hǎi, gè xiǎn shéntōng.HSK6
In the contest, the players cross the sea like the eight immortals, each showing their magic.
大家八仙过海，想尽了各种办法。Dàjiā bā xiān guò hǎi, xiǎng jìn le gè zhǒng bànfǎ.HSK6
Everyone crossed the sea their own way, trying every trick.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It celebrates many different talents on display — not merely "many people doing one thing".
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01