天马行空

天馬行空
tiānmǎ-xíngkōng
idiom #30,698

Meanings

  1. 1 like a heavenly steed soaring across the sky
  2. 2 (of writing or imagination) bold and unconstrained
  3. 3 wildly imaginative; freewheeling

Examples

HSK 5
Zhè bù xiǎoshuō qíngjié tiānmǎ-xíngkōng, chōngmǎn xiǎngxiànglì.
The plot of this novel is bold and freewheeling, full of imagination.
HSK 7-9
Tā de xiǎngxiànglì tiānmǎ-xíngkōng, zǒng néng xiǎngchū biérén xiǎngbudào de diǎnzi.
His imagination runs wild - he always comes up with ideas no one else could think of.

Tips

history
From Liu Tingzhen's (刘廷振) preface to 《萨天锡诗集》 (Yuan dynasty): 殆犹天马行空而步骤不凡 - praising Sadula's poetry as having the bearing of a heavenly horse striding through empty sky. Originally pure praise; today it can also hint at being unrealistic.
usage
Positive when describing art, imagination, and creative writing. When applied to plans or reasoning it turns mildly critical: 'untethered from reality.'

Stroke Order

tiān
xíng
kōng