Basic Info
Chinese Idiom: 白驹过隙 (Bái jū guò xì)
Pinyin: bái jū guò xì
Literal meaning: “A white horse flashes past a crack.”
(白驹 = white horse / white colt; 过 = passes; 隙 = crack / crevice)
The “white horse” may also be interpreted as a sunbeam or ray of light passing through a small opening – an image of something fleeting and impossible to hold.
Figurative Definition
It describes how quickly time passes – like a white horse galloping past a tiny crack, visible for only an instant and then gone forever. It is used to express the fleeting nature of human life and to remind people that time is short, precious, and unstoppable.
Cultural & Historical Origin
This idiom comes from the Daoist classic Zhuangzi (《庄子》), in the chapter “Knowledge Rambling in the North” (知北游).
The original passage says:
“人生天地之间，若白驹之过郤，忽然而已。”
(“Between heaven and earth, human life is like a white horse passing through a crack – sudden, and then it is over.”)
Here, “郤” is an ancient form of “隙” (crack / crevice). Zhuangzi used this vivid image to show that life is not long and should not be taken for granted.
Key Lesson
Time does not wait. Life is brief, and every moment slips away faster than we expect. The idiom encourages us to use time wisely, cherish the present, and avoid wasting our days on trivial or meaningless things. Because time cannot be recovered, how we spend it matters deeply.
Cultural Note
“白驹过隙” is a very common literary and everyday idiom in Chinese. It often appears in essays, speeches, and personal reflections about aging, nostalgia, and the passage of years. It is closely related to other Chinese expressions about time, such as:
- 光阴似箭，日月如梭 – “Time flies like an arrow; the sun and moon move like a shuttle.”
- 光阴荏苒 – “Time slips by.”
- 逝者如斯 – “It passes like this, never ceasing day or night!” (from Confucius, watching a river flow).
Together, these reflect a deep cultural awareness of life’s transience.
Similar English Expressions
- Time flies. – Time passes very quickly.
- In the blink of an eye. – Something happens extremely fast.
- Like sands through the hourglass. – Time keeps slipping away.
- How time flies. – A common exclamation about how fast time passes.
- Time and tide wait for no man. – Time stops for no one.
- A flash in the pan. – Something brief – but often means short-lived success, not time itself.
- Life is short. – A direct statement of the same idea.
- The sands of time. – The passing of time, often in a poetic or nostalgic sense.
The closest and most natural English equivalent is “time flies” or “in the blink of an eye.”
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