走馬看花

Chinese

		to ride a horse; to go on horseback; to gallop away	to see; to look at; to look after to see; to look at; to look after; to take care of; to watch; to guard; it depends; think	flower; blossom; to spend flower; blossom; to spend; fancy pattern
trad. (走馬看花)		走馬	看	花
simp. (走马看花)		走马	看	花
Literally: “taking a ride on a horse while looking at the flowers”.

Etymology

See 走馬觀花／走马观花 (zǒumǎguānhuā).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): zǒumǎkànhuā

(Zhuyin): ㄗㄡˇ ㄇㄚˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚ
Cantonese (Jyutping): zau² maa⁵ hon³ faa¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: zǒumǎkànhuā [Phonetic: zóumǎkànhuā]
  - Zhuyin: ㄗㄡˇ ㄇㄚˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: zǒumǎkànhua
  - Wade–Giles: tsou³-ma³-kʻan⁴-hua¹
  - Yale: dzǒu-mǎ-kàn-hwā
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tzooumaakannhua
  - Palladius: цзоумаканьхуа (czoumakanʹxua)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰän⁵¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: zau² maa⁵ hon³ faa¹
  - Yale: jáu máh hon fā
  - Cantonese Pinyin: dzau² maa⁵ hon³ faa¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: zeo² ma⁵ hon³ fa¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɐu̯³⁵ maː¹³ hɔːn³³ faː⁵⁵/

Idiom

走馬看花

A feeling of elation when one's ambition is fulfilled or while traveling
(figuratively, derogatory) to look roughly and hastily, without being able to get a good look at things