红杏出墙

紅杏出牆
hóngxìng-chūqiáng
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to have an affair (of a married woman)
  2. 2 spring in full bloom that no wall can hold in

Examples

HSK 6
Línjumen dōu zài yìlùn tā hóngxìng-chūqiáng de shì.
The neighbours are all gossiping about her having an affair.
HSK 7-9
Qiángtóu tànchū yì zhī xìnghuā, zhèngshì yì fú hóngxìng-chūqiáng de chūnjǐng.
A spray of apricot blossom leans out over the top of the wall, a true spring picture of red apricot beyond the wall.

Tips

history
From the Southern Song poet 叶绍翁's quatrain 《游园不值》: 春色满园关不住,一枝红杏出墙来 "a garden full of spring cannot be shut in: a branch of red apricot reaches out over the wall". In the poem it is only spring scenery.
register
The affair sense is said only of a wife, and it judges her: using it about someone is gossip, not a neutral description. For a partner of either sex who cheats, the everyday word is 出轨.

Stroke Order

红 hóng
杏 xìng
出 chū
墙 qiáng