司空见惯
- Literal
- the sikong sees it and grows used to it
- Figurative
- Something seen so often that it has become ordinary and no longer surprises anyone, however striking it may look to an outsider.
Where does 司空见惯 come from?
The story is preserved in 《本事诗》, a Tang collection of anecdotes about poems. The poet Liu Yuxi, fresh from a posting as a cishi (prefect) in the provinces, was invited to a banquet at the home of a senior official —tradition identifies him as the poet Li Shen— who had held the office of sikong, minister of works. With the banquet laid out, the host had his singing girls perform, and Liu Yuxi improvised a few lines: such luxury was an everyday sight for the sikong, yet it broke the heart of a prefect from the south. What was routine for one man dazzled the other, and the phrase stuck.
Source (出处): 孟棨《本事诗》
How is 司空见惯 used? Two examples
- 他上班迟到已经司空见惯了，没人再说什么。
His turning up late for work is nothing new by now; nobody even comments.
- 这种事在我们行业里司空见惯，大家都不觉得奇怪。
In our industry this sort of thing is routine; nobody finds it odd.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
