Chinese idiom · 成语
熙熙攘攘
Meaning
Bustling and crowded; lively activity.
Character by character
Origin and story
literary expressionThe paired sounds 熙熙 and 攘攘 evoke a busy crowd flowing back and forth. A famous related sentence in the Shiji’s discussion of wealth describes people coming and going in pursuit of profit. Later storytelling brings the two repeated words together: Cuo Zhan Cui Ning (錯斬崔寧), included in Jingben Tongsu Xiaoshuo, uses 熙熙攘攘 while speaking of people drawn by gain.
The expression does not depend on a particular market incident or named character. Its repeated rhythm makes it useful for a whole scene rather than one person's action. Today it usually describes a street, market, station, or other public place filled with people, movement, and noise; the old observation about profit need not be intended.
In everyday life
周六的夜市熙熙攘攘，我们走了半天才找到空桌。
The night market was bustling on Saturday; we walked around for ages before finding an empty table.
For a crowd or bustling public scene, not simply one busy person.