CHENGYU
六神无主(liù shén wú zhǔ)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 明·冯梦龙《醒世恒言》
MEANING
- Literal
- the six spirits have lost their master
- Figurative meaning
- panic-stricken; at a complete loss
ORIGIN STORY
In the Ming tale Stories to Awaken the World, a magistrate, terrified, "had no master over his six spirits" and lost all appetite. The six spirits are the guardian gods of the organs — without a master, all is chaos.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to fall to pieces”
EXAMPLES
听到坏消息，他吓得六神无主。Tīng dào huài xiāoxi, tā xià de liù shén wú zhǔ.HSK6
The bad news left him so shaken his six spirits lost their master.
遇到困难别六神无主，要冷静。Yù dào kùnnan bié liù shén wú zhǔ, yào lěngjìng.HSK6
Do not lose your head in difficulty — keep calm.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is flustered panic, losing the ability to think — not sadness or regret.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01