枯藤老树昏鸦

枯藤老樹昏鴉

kūténg lǎoshù hūn yā

quotation

Meanings

1 withered vines, old tree, crows at dusk
2 a canonical image of autumn desolation and loneliness
3 dead-vine old-tree dusk-crows

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

看到这幅水墨画，就想到枯藤老树昏鸦那句词。

Kàndào zhè fú shuǐmòhuà, jiù xiǎngdào kūténglǎoshùhūnyā nà jù cí.

Seeing this ink painting, I immediately thought of the line 'withered vines, old trees, crows at dusk.'

HSK 7-9

深秋的黄昏，枯藤老树昏鸦，格外凄凉。

Shēnqiū de huánghūn, kūténglǎoshùhūnyā, géwài qīliáng.

A late-autumn dusk - withered vines, old tree, crows coming home - especially desolate.

Tips

history

Opening line of 马致远's (Yuan dynasty) 《天净沙·秋思》: 枯藤老树昏鸦，小桥流水人家，古道西风瘦马 (withered vines, old tree, crows at dusk; small bridge, running water, a household; ancient road, west wind, lean horse). Considered one of the greatest 小令 (short sanqu) in Chinese literature - every phrase a standalone image, no verbs.

usage

The power of the line lies in its pure noun-stacking - no verbs. Three images make one scene. Often quoted in painting titles and in modern songs evoking wanderer-loneliness.

Stroke Order

枯 kū

藤 téng

老 lǎo

树 shù

昏 hūn

鸦 yā