CHENGYU
一鸣惊人(yī míng jīng rén)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- formal, approving
- Source:
- 《史记·滑稽列传》
MEANING
- Literal
- to amaze the world with one cry
- Figurative meaning
- to achieve sudden, spectacular success after being obscure
ORIGIN STORY
King Zhuang of Chu ruled without acting for three years while his state decayed. Asked why, he answered that a great bird does not fly or cry for three years — but when it does, it soars to the sky and its cry stuns everyone. He then governed brilliantly.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to burst onto the scene”
EXAMPLES
她在比赛中一鸣惊人，获得了第一名。Tā zài bǐsài zhōng yī míng jīng rén, huòdé le dì yī míng.HSK6
She stunned everyone at the competition and took first place.
这个年轻作家一鸣惊人，第一本书就非常成功。Zhège niánqīng zuòjiā yī míng jīng rén, dì yī běn shū jiù fēicháng chénggōng.HSK6
This young writer amazed the world; his first book was a huge success.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: The person is famous only after the event; do not use it for steady, gradual success.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01