Definition
大有文章 is a fixed four-character idiom (verb-object in structure) that means 'there's more than meets the eye' — a situation has hidden significance, ulterior motives, or deeper meaning that isn't obvious at first. The literal breakdown ('has much essay/article') does not convey the real meaning, so it must be learned as a set phrase. Although the verb 有 can theoretically be separated, in practice 大有文章 is almost always used as a single unit.
v.o.
there's more than meets the eyea situation has hidden significance or deeper meaning
Examples
- ，。Zhège jìhuà lǐmiàn dà yǒu bùshǎo wénzhāng, nǐ yào zǐxì kànkan.There's quite a lot of hidden meaning in this plan; you need to look carefully.
- ，大有文章。Zhè jiàn shì kàn qǐlái jiǎndān, qíshí dà yǒu wénzhāng.This matter seems simple, but there's more than meets the eye.
- 大有文章，。Lǎobǎn de huà lǐ dà yǒu wénzhāng, nǐ yào rènzhēn xiǎngxiang.There's more to the boss's words than meets the eye; you should think carefully.
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