浩如烟海
hào rú yān hǎi
as vast as the misty sea; (of books, records, data) enormous in quantity
Character by character
浩hào
vast
vast
如rú
like
like
烟yān
mist
mist
海hǎi
sea
sea
Example
古代留下的文献浩如烟海，一个人一辈子也读不完。
The written records left from ancient times are boundless; one person could not read them all in a lifetime.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Of written material and now data: 史料浩如烟海, 浩如烟海的数据. Keep it apart from 浩瀚, which is vast in extent (浩瀚的大海, 浩瀚的星空): 浩如烟海 is about sheer quantity of material, and belongs to the written language.
Learn this in Lesson 178 · HSK 7–9: 中国天眼 (China’s Sky Eye)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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