火烧眉毛
huǒ shāo méimáo
Eyebrows on fire — desperately urgent
Today we’ll learn a Chinese proverb which is often used to ask for a pressing need to solve the urgent problem without delay.
What will you do if a fire is buring your eyebrow? Since the eyebrows (眉毛méimáo) are immediately above the eyes (眼 yǎn), when the eyebrows are on fire (火huǒ), the eyes are in immediate danger.
—- 火huǒ, FIRE
—- 烧shāo, BURN
—- 眉毛méimáo, EYEBROW
This idiom is used when the circumstances have become desperately urgent and one must solve the most pressing problem, leaving aside other, less-important business. Sometimes it can also refer to shortsightedness, i.e. paying attention only to the resent, without any consideration for the future.
For example:
Míngtiān jiù kǎoshì， dōu huǒ shāo méimáo le.
明天 就 考试, 都 火 烧 眉毛 了。
Tomorrow is for the examination. It is so urgent just like eyebrows on fire.
Nǐ bù hǎohǎo fùxí， hái xiǎng qù kàn diànyǐng ？
你 不 好好 复习, 还 想 去 看 电影？
Why are you thinking of seeing a film, rather than staying home for a complete review of the lessons?
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