不胫而走

不脛而走

bùjìng'érzǒu

idiom #45,244

Meanings

1 to spread rapidly without being promoted
2 to get around fast
3 to spread like wildfire (of news or rumor)

Characters

shin; lower leg

to run (classical); to travel

Examples

HSK 3

消息不胫而走，第二天全城都知道了。

Xiāoxi bùjìng'érzǒu, dì'èr tiān quánchéng dōu zhīdào le.

The news spread like wildfire - by the next day the whole city knew.

HSK 4

他获奖的消息不胫而走。

Tā huòjiǎng de xiāoxi bùjìng'érzǒu.

Word of his prize spread fast on its own.

HSK 4

这首歌没有宣传，却不胫而走，红遍全国。

Zhè shǒu gē méiyǒu xuānchuán, què bùjìng'érzǒu, hóng biàn quánguó.

The song had no promotion, yet it spread by itself and became a hit nationwide.

Tips

history

From Kong Rong's Han-dynasty 《论盛孝章书》: 珠玉无胫而自至者，以人好之也 - 'pearls and jade have no legs, yet come to people of their own accord, because people love them.' Originally about precious things attracting their owners; now almost exclusively about news/rumors.

memory

胫 = shin/lower leg; 走 = classical 'run'. Literally 'without legs yet running' - news with no feet somehow travels.

Stroke Order

不 bù

胫 jìng

而 ér

走 zǒu