白日做梦

白日做夢

báirì-zuòmèng

idiom #32,131

Meanings

1 to daydream
2 to indulge in wishful thinking
3 to pursue a pipe dream

Characters

white; broad (daylight)

Examples

HSK 4

想不努力就成功？你白日做梦！

Xiǎng bù nǔlì jiù chénggōng? Nǐ báirì-zuòmèng!

You expect to succeed without working hard? You're daydreaming!

HSK 7-9

他整天白日做梦，从不付诸行动。

Tā zhěngtiān báirì-zuòmèng, cóngbù fùzhū xíngdòng.

He spends his days daydreaming and never takes action.

Tips

history

Recorded in the Ming-dynasty collection 《精选雅笑》 (Selected Refined Jokes): people who insisted they would pass the imperial exam by quizzing fortune-tellers were said to be 白日做梦 - literally 'dreaming in broad daylight,' i.e. delusional about a sure thing.

usage

Almost always used to put someone down: 你白日做梦！ = 'In your dreams!' Stronger than English 'daydreaming' - implies the goal is impossible, not just distracting.

Stroke Order

白 bái

日 rì

做 zuò

梦 mèng