Chinese idiom · 成语
胆大包天
Meaning
Guts big enough to wrap heaven; reckless audacity.
Character by character
Origin and story
Literary hyperboleThe phrase exaggerates boldness as a gallbladder large enough to encompass the sky. 膽 is conventionally associated with courage; the expression is not a literal anatomical claim. An exact use appears in chapter 3 of the first collection of Kuaixin Bian (快心編), where an official angrily accuses someone of audacious behavior before him.
That literary attestation shows how the phrase can condemn someone for disregarding authority or consequences. It does not establish a unique founding adventure. In current speech it often conveys outrage at reckless nerve, though a playful context can soften it.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
他竟敢冒用经理的签名，真是胆大包天。
He actually dared to forge the manager's signature—what outrageous nerve.
Usually critical of audacity that disregards boundaries or consequences.