pipe dream; illusory prosperity; fool's paradise
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
pipe dream; illusory joy; fleeting prosperity
literaryDerived from the Tang dynasty story 'Dream of Millet' (黄粱梦), in which a scholar dreams of a lifetime of glory while a pot of millet cooks. Often used to describe ambitions or pleasures that vanish upon waking.
Tā他
huàn幻
xiǎng想
yí一
yè夜
bào暴
fù富
，
bù不
guò过
shì是
yī一
zhěn枕
huáng黄
liáng粱
。
His fantasy of getting rich overnight is nothing but a pipe dream.
Méi没
yǒu有
shí实
jì际
xíng行
dòng动
，
zài再
hǎo好
de的
jì计
huà划
yě也
shì是
yī一
zhěn枕
huáng黄
liáng粱
。
Without practical action, even the best plan is just an illusion.
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Dāng当
nián年
de的
róng荣
huá华
fù富
guì贵
，
rú如
jīn今
kàn看
lái来
zhǐ只
shì是
yī一
zhěn枕
huáng黄
liáng粱
。
The glory and wealth of those years now seem like nothing but a fleeting dream.