把酒问青天

把酒問青天

Bǎ jiǔ wèn qīngtiān

quotation

Meanings

1 raising a cup of wine to ask the blue heavens
2 putting a question to the sky, wine in hand

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

明月几时有？把酒问青天。

Míngyuè jǐshí yǒu? Bǎ jiǔ wèn qīngtiān.

When did the bright moon first appear? Raising a cup of wine, I ask the blue sky.

HSK 7-9

中秋之夜，他独自把酒问青天。

Zhōngqiū zhī yè, tā dúzì bǎ jiǔ wèn qīngtiān.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, he alone raised a cup of wine and questioned the heavens.

Tips

history

From Su Shi's 《水调歌头·明月几时有》 (1076), the most famous Mid-Autumn poem in Chinese. Written for his brother Su Zhe, whom he had not seen for seven years. Closes with the line everyone knows: 但愿人长久，千里共婵娟.

culture

Indelibly associated with Mid-Autumn Festival. The Teresa Teng / Faye Wong song 《但愿人长久》 set the whole ci to music, making it a pop-culture fixture.

Stroke Order

把 bǎ

酒 jiǔ

问 wèn

青 qīng

天 tiān