风口浪尖

風口浪尖

fēngkǒulàngjiān

idiom #41,147

Meanings

1 at the forefront of a storm
2 at the center of controversy
3 in the eye of the storm; on the cutting edge of conflict

Characters

Examples

这位企业家正站在舆论的风口浪尖。

Zhè wèi qǐyèjiā zhèng zhàn zài yúlùn de fēngkǒulàngjiān.

This entrepreneur is standing at the eye of the public opinion storm.

改革开放初期，深圳处在风口浪尖上。

Gǎigé kāifàng chūqī, Shēnzhèn chǔ zài fēngkǒulàngjiān shàng.

In the early reform era, Shenzhen was at the forefront of the storm.

Tips

memory

风口 'the mouth of the wind' + 浪尖 'the tip of the wave' — where the wind is strongest and the waves break highest. A visceral image of the most exposed position.

usage

Typically introduced by 站在 (stand at), 推到 (be pushed to), or 处在 (be situated at). Describes a person, company, or city at the most exposed point of a public dispute or historical moment.

Stroke Order

风 fēng

口 kǒu

浪 làng

尖 jiān