CHENGYU
鸡犬不宁(jī quǎn bù níng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 唐·柳宗元《捕蛇者说》
MEANING
- Literal
- even the chickens and dogs have no peace
- Figurative meaning
- a scene of total turmoil and disturbance
ORIGIN STORY
In his essay "The Snake Catcher", Liu Zongyuan wrote that the tax collectors were so brutal that "even the chickens and dogs could not rest" wherever they went. The phrase paints uproar that spares no creature.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to turn the place upside down”
EXAMPLES
楼上装修，吵得整栋楼鸡犬不宁。Lóushàng zhuāngxiū, chǎo de zhěng dòng lóu jī quǎn bù níng.HSK6
The renovation upstairs has thrown the whole building into turmoil.
这两个孩子天天吵架，家里鸡犬不宁。Zhè liǎng ge háizi tiāntiān chǎojià, jiāli jī quǎn bù níng.HSK6
The two kids fight daily — not even the chickens and dogs have peace.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It describes commotion affecting everyone around — not a single person's anxiety.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01