天馬行空

Chinese

	fine horse; serow	to go; to do; capable to go; to do; capable; all right; competent; OK; to travel; temporary; to walk; will do; behaviour; conduct; a row; profession; professional	emptied; leisure; air emptied; leisure; air; sky; empty; in vain
trad. (天馬行空)	天馬	行	空
simp. (天马行空)	天马	行	空
Literally: “a heavenly steed soaring across the skies”.

Etymology

First attested in 1485 in the preface to the Poetry Collection of Sa Dula by Liu Zizhong:

其所以神化而超出於衆表者，殆猶天馬行空而步驟不凡，神蛟混海而隐現莫測，威鳳儀廷而光彩蹁躚，莫不聳觀而快覩也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

其所以神化而超出于众表者，殆犹天马行空而步骤不凡，神蛟混海而隐现莫测，威凤仪廷而光彩蹁跹，莫不耸观而快睹也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 1485, 劉子鍾,《薩天錫詩集序》

Qí suǒyǐ shénhuà ér chāochū yú zhòng biǎo zhě, dài yóu tiānmǎ xíng kōng ér bùzhòu bùfán, shénjiāo hùn hǎi ér yǐnxiàn mòcè, wēifèng yí tíng ér guāngcǎi piánxiān, mòbù sǒng guān ér kuài dǔ yě. [Pinyin]

The reason it transcends the ordinary and stands out from the crowd is like a heavenly horse soaring through the skies with extraordinary grace, a divine dragon navigating the seas with unpredictable movements, or a majestic phoenix gracing the imperial court with radiant splendour—each captivates the eye and delights the beholders.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): tiānmǎxíngkōng

(Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢㄇㄚˇ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄎㄨㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): tin¹ maa⁵ hang⁴ hung¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: tiānmǎxíngkōng
  - Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢㄇㄚˇ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄎㄨㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: tianmǎsíngkong
  - Wade–Giles: tʻien¹-ma³-hsing²-kʻung¹
  - Yale: tyān-mǎ-syíng-kūng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tianmaashyngkong
  - Palladius: тяньмасинкун (tjanʹmasinkun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: tin¹ maa⁵ hang⁴ hung¹
  - Yale: tīn máh hàhng hūng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: tin¹ maa⁵ hang⁴ hung¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: tin¹ ma⁵ heng⁴ hung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰiːn⁵⁵ maː¹³ hɐŋ²¹ hʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

天馬行空

(figurative, of literary composition, life, etc.) powerful and unrestrained in style; bold and imaginative; abounding with novel ideas
- 2002, “藍蓮花 [The Blue Lotus]”, 許巍 (lyrics), performed by 許巍:
  
  沒有什麼能夠阻擋　你對自由的嚮往　天馬行空的生涯　你的心了無牽掛 [MSC, trad.]
  没有什么能够阻挡　你对自由的向往　天马行空的生涯　你的心了无牵挂 [MSC, simp.]
  méiyǒu shénme nénggòu zǔdǎng, nǐ duì zìyóu de xiàngwǎng, tiānmǎxíngkōng de shēngyá, nǐ de xīn liǎowúqiānguà [Pinyin]
  Nothing could ever stand,
  Between you and the free land;
  In a life of laissez-aller,
  All your worries were blown away.
(figurative) progressing swiftly; unrestricted and developing rapidly
(figurative, derogatory) speaking in a roundabout, irrelevant or exaggerated way; empty and impracticable talk