Chinese word

心血来潮

Pronunciation

Pinyinxīn xuè lái cháo

Meaning

  • idiomon a whim

Example

我心血来潮带她去吃了晚饭。wǒ xīn xuè lái cháo dài tā qù chī le wǎn fàn

I took her out to dinner on a whim.

Illustration for 心血来潮 (on a whim)

More examples

昨天他心血来潮去看电影了。zuó tiān tā xīn xuè lái cháo qù kàn diàn yǐng le

Yesterday, he went to see a movie on a whim.

Core concept

A brief surge of feeling or energy pushes a person toward an unplanned idea or action.

Common phrases

  • 心血来潮去看电影xīn xuè lái cháo qù kàn diàn yǐng

    go see a movie on a whim

  • 心血来潮参加活动xīn xuè lái cháo cān jiā huó dòng

    attend an event on a whim

Similar words

一时兴起yì shí xīng qǐ: A momentary idea or interest prompts someone to do something.
一时冲动yì shí chōng dòng: A short-lived urge leads to action without careful thought.
灵机一动líng jī yí dòng: A quick flash of insight suggests an effective idea or method.

Definition in Chinese

一时兴起的想法或冲动，来得突然且很快消失，往往不是经过深思熟虑的打算。yì shí xīng qǐ de xiáng fǎ huò chōng dòng lái de tū rán qiě hěn kuài xiāo shī wáng wǎng bú shì jīng guò shēn sī shú lǜ de dǎ suàn

Word origin

心 (xīn, "heart") + 血 (xuè, "blood") + 来 (lái, "come") + 潮 (cháo, "tide") create an image of inner energy rising like a sudden tide.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this idiom often introduces an unexpected action whose reason is simply a passing urge, without necessarily criticizing the action.

Other meanings

  • sudden ideaidiom
  • sudden impulseidiom

Opposites

  • 三思而行sān sī ér xíngthink carefully before actingidiom

Word lists with this word