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卷起千堆雪

捲起千堆雪
juǎnqǐqiānduīxuě
phrase

Meanings

  1. 1 churning up a thousand heaps of snow
  2. 2 waves throwing up a thousand banks of white foam
  3. 3 (lit.) rolling up a thousand piles of snow

Examples

浪涛拍岸，卷起千堆雪，气势壮观。
Làngtāo pāi àn, juǎn qǐ qiān duī xuě, qìshì zhuàngguān.
Waves crashed on the shore, churning up a thousand heaps of foam — a grand sight.
他用卷起千堆雪来形容冲浪的刺激。
Tā yòng juǎn qǐ qiān duī xuě lái xíngróng chōnglàng de cìjī.
He used 'churning up a thousand heaps of snow' to describe the thrill of surfing.

Tips

history
From Su Shi's (苏轼) Song-dynasty ci 《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》 (Charms of Niannu: Meditations on the Red Cliff). Full passage: 『乱石穿空，惊涛拍岸，卷起千堆雪。江山如画，一时多少豪杰』— 'jagged rocks pierce the sky, startling waves slap the shore, churning up a thousand heaps of snow. The land is like a painting — how many heroes lived all at once!' Written at Huangzhou around 1082, at the reputed Red Cliff battle site.
usage
The 'snow' here is white foam whipped up by crashing waves — a classical kenning for sea spray. Often quoted for any dramatic churn of water: storms, waterfalls, speedboats.

Stroke Order

卷 juǎn
起 qǐ
千 qiān
堆 duī
雪 xuě