CHENGYU
南柯一梦(nán kē yī mèng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary
- Source:
- 唐·李公佐《南柯太守传》
MEANING
- Literal
- a dream under the southern branch
- Figurative meaning
- an illusory dream of glory; empty ambition
ORIGIN STORY
In the Tang tale, the scholar Chunyu Fen dreamed he married a princess in the ant kingdom under the southern branch of a great ash tree and ruled there for a generation. Waking, he found the whole career had lasted one afternoon nap.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“a fool's paradise”
EXAMPLES
曾经的辉煌，如今不过是南柯一梦。Céngjīng de huīhuáng, rújīn bùguò shì nán kē yī mèng.HSK6
The past glory is now nothing but a dream under the southern branch.
中彩票的美梦只是一场南柯一梦。Zhòng cǎipiào de měimèng zhǐ shì yì chǎng nán kē yī mèng.HSK6
The lottery fantasy is just a dream under the southern branch.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It laments glory or gain that proves empty — not just any pleasant dream.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01