七月流火

Chinese
July; The modern name of the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
 
to flow; to spread; to circulate
to flow; to spread; to circulate; to move
 
fire; angry; fierce
fire; angry; fierce; fiery; thriving
trad. (七月流火) 七月 流 火
simp. #(七月流火) 七月 流 火

Etymology
七月流火、九月授衣。一之日觱發、二之日栗烈。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
七月流火、九月授衣。一之日觱发、二之日栗烈。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11th – 7th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Qīyuè liú huǒ, jiǔyuè shòu yī. Yī zhī rì bì fā, èr zhī rì lì liè. [Pinyin]
In the seventh month, the Fire Star passes the meridian; in the ninth month, clothes are given out. In the days of [our] first month, the wind blows cold; in the days of [our] second, the air is cold.

In antiquity, Chinese astronomers saw the westerly motion of Antares, the Great Fire Star (大火), as a sign of autumn's arrival. Whether this idiom should be interpreted as referring to the current heat or the imminent cooling is a matter of constant dispute.

Pronunciation

Idiom

七月流火

  1. the summer heat recedes during the seventh lunar month, and the cold season becomes imminent
  2. scorching heat during July
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