万人空巷

萬人空巷

wànrén-kōngxiàng

idiom #50,484

Meanings

1 the streets empty as everyone pours out (to witness a spectacle)
2 the whole town turns out
3 crowds pouring out of every alley

Characters

ten thousand, multitude

Examples

HSK 3

这部电视剧播出时，简直万人空巷。

Zhèbù diànshìjù bōchū shí, jiǎnzhí wànrénkōngxiàng.

When this TV drama aired, it was as if the whole town emptied out to watch.

HSK 5

那位偶像歌手出现时，整条街万人空巷。

Nàwèi ǒuxiàng gēshǒu chūxiàn shí, zhěng tiáo jiē wànrénkōngxiàng.

When that idol singer appeared, the entire street emptied out as everyone rushed to see.

HSK 7-9

国庆阅兵那天，首都万人空巷。

Guóqìng yuèbīng nàtiān, shǒudū wànrénkōngxiàng.

On the day of the National Day parade, the whole capital poured into the streets.

Tips

history

From Su Shi's poem 《八月十七复登望海楼》: 赖有明朝看潮在，万人空巷斗新妆 - describing Hangzhou residents pouring out to watch the tidal bore. 巷 ('alley') empties because everyone has rushed out to see something.

mistakes

Common misunderstanding: many readers picture 'empty streets' (nobody there). Correct image is the opposite - the ALLEYS are empty because everyone left them to crowd somewhere else. Always describes a hugely popular event, never a ghost town.

Stroke Order

万 wàn

人 rén

空 kōng

巷 xiàng