Chinese Idiom: 痴人说梦 (Chi Ren Shuo Meng)
English Translation: The Fool Speaks of Dreams
pīn yīn: chī rén shuō mèng
Idiom Meaning: Refers to foolish people speaking absurd words; also used to mock someone for saying ridiculous things based on unrealistic fantasies.
Historical Source: From Cold Studio Night Talks (冷斋夜话) by Song dynasty monk Huihong (释惠洪).
Idiom Story:
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty in the Longshu era, there was a monk from a foreign land whose name and nationality were unknown. When people asked him, “What is your surname?” he replied, “Surname He.” When they further inquired, “Which country are you from?” he replied, “From He country.” Some people mistakenly believed that his surname was indeed He and that he was from that country.
Later, when the monk passed away, Li Yong was commissioned to write a tombstone for him but, unable to decipher the monk’s ambiguous answers, inscribed: “Master’s surname is He, from He country.”
The author of Cold Studio Night Talks reflected on this story, remarking, “This is exactly like speaking to a fool about dreams.” It implies that the foolish believe absurdity to be true.
Another story recorded in Random Talks of Residual Ink (余墨偶谈) recounts the tale of a foolish young man from the Qi family. One morning, he woke up and grabbed the maid who was coming in to tidy the room, shouting, “Did you dream of me last night?” The maid, seeing his clueless expression, replied, “No.” Infuriated, the young man cursed, “What? I clearly saw you in my dream, so why are you playing tricks?” He dragged the maid to his mother, complaining, “This foolish maid deserves punishment! I clearly dreamed of her, yet she denies it. How outrageous!”
As a result, the phrase “痴人说梦” became a metaphor for foolish people expressing unrealistic ideas.
