成语：滚瓜烂熟
拼音：gǔn guā làn shú
解释：象从瓜蔓上掉下来的瓜那样熟。形容读书或背书流利纯熟。
This chengyu is a synonym to 倒背如流. 瓜 (gua1) is the water melon. 滚 (gun3) means to roll. In this context it refers to the melon falling down and rolling a bit. 烂熟 (lan4 shu2) means that the melon is very ripe, so that it almost cracks open. Here you have to know that the Chinese character 熟 can stand for a ripe fruit, but also means that you are very familiar with something and someone. This is important to keep in mind. Then then meaning of the whole chengqyu will be much clearer. “To know something as good by heart as a ripe melon”. This comparison doesn’t really exist in English, but this is still an easy way to memorize it. Basically it expresses that you memorized something very well. However, you have to add a verb like “背“ (to memorize) in front of it, while in 倒背如流 you don’t have to because it is already in the chengyu.
Example (例子):
- 他把这首古诗背得滚瓜烂熟。
He memorized this poem very well.