Chinese Idiom: 得意扬扬 (De Yi Yang Yang)
English Translation: In high spirits and proud
pīn yīn: dé yì yáng yáng
Idiom Meaning: Refers to someone who is self-satisfied and behaves arrogantly, believing themselves to be impressive or important.
Historical Source: From “The Spring and Autumn of Master Yan” (《晏子春秋·内篇杂上》).
Idiom Story:
Yan Zi was the prime minister of the Qi State. He was known for his humility, but one of his carriage drivers was quite arrogant.
One day, while Yan Zi was out, the carriage passed by the driver’s home. The driver’s wife peered through the door and saw her husband sitting proudly atop a luxurious four-horse carriage, energetically waving his whip. She thought to herself, “He is so full of himself, so self-satisfied!”
When the driver returned home, his wife announced that she wanted to divorce him. Alarmed, the driver asked why. She replied, “Yan Zi may be less than six feet tall, but he is the prime minister of the state, well-respected and renowned. Today, I saw him sitting in the carriage, and he was so humble. And then there’s you—though you are eight feet tall, you are merely his driver. You drove the carriage with such arrogance and pride, acting as if you were remarkable! Therefore, I will leave you.”
Hearing this, the driver felt very ashamed. From that day on, he became mindful of his behavior while driving the carriage. Yan Zi noticed the driver’s change and curiously asked him what had happened. The driver honestly explained the situation, and Yan Zi appreciated his willingness to correct his mistakes. He recommended the driver for a position as an official.
Later, people took the phrase “so full of oneself and self-satisfied” and derived the idiom “得意扬扬” (dé yì yáng yáng).
