DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

看破紅塵

简看破红尘 · 繁看破紅塵

Mandarin · pinyin kàn pò hóng chén

(idiom) to see through the illusions of the material world (often a precursor to becoming a Buddhist monk or nun); to become disillusioned with human society

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

看: kàn · look, see; examine, scrutinize
破: pò · break, ruin, destroy; rout
紅: hóng · red, vermillion; blush, flush
塵: Look up this written character
红: hóng · red, vermillion; blush, flush
尘: chén · dust, dirt, ashes, cinders

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

4–4–2–2 · kan4 po4 hong2 chen2

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

5character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

看破紅塵 · find source passages ↗ · 看破红尘 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

hon3 po3 hung4 can4

Cantonese word readings for 看破紅塵. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack