CHENGYU
入木三分(rù mù sān fēn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary, approving
- Source:
- 唐·张怀瓘《书断·王羲之》
MEANING
- Literal
- to sink three fen into the wood
- Figurative meaning
- strikingly deep and penetrating (of words, analysis, art)
ORIGIN STORY
The calligrapher Wang Xizhi wrote on a wooden board so forcefully that when the carpenter planed the board, the ink was found to have sunk three fen (about a centimeter) into the wood.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“razor-sharp”
EXAMPLES
他对人物的描写入木三分。Tā duì rénwù de miáoxiě rù mù sān fēn.HSK6
His portrayal of the character cuts three fen deep.
这篇文章批评得很到位，入木三分。Zhè piān wénzhāng pīpíng de hěn dàowèi, rù mù sān fēn.HSK6
This article's criticism hits home — it sinks deep into the wood.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It praises depth and precision of expression or analysis, not physical force.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01