桀骜不驯

桀驁不馴

jié'àobùxùn

idiom #58,131

Meanings

Zhè pǐ mǎ jié'àobùxùn, méi rén qí de liǎo.

This horse is wild and untamable — no one can ride it.

Tā xìnggé jié'àobùxùn, hěn nán guǎnjiào.

His personality is defiant and hard to rein in.

history

First recorded in 《汉书·匈奴传赞》, describing the Xiongnu as unyielding to Han authority.

memory

桀 (Jié) was the infamously tyrannical last king of Xia — the character itself evokes wild, violent stubbornness.

桀 jié

骜 ào

不 bù

驯 xùn