jat1 ci4 ceon1 seoi2一池春水
Definition
A spring pond, often used figuratively to describe something that stirs up emotions or causes a ripple of excitement.
- a spring pond; quiet water
- figurativematters that stir up emotions or cause a ripple of excitement
How it's used
This idiom is almost exclusively used in a metaphorical sense to describe a state of calm or tranquility that is suddenly disturbed. It is a literary expression that carries a poetic tone, often used to describe the onset of romantic feelings or the disruption of a peaceful environment. You will rarely hear it in casual, fast-paced street talk, as it is more common in writing or formal storytelling.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a literal description of a pond, but it is almost always used to describe human emotions or social situations. Using it to describe actual water will sound confusingly poetic or archaic to a native speaker.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
