沉鱼落雁

Pronunciation: chén yú luò yàn Literal meaning: Sink fish fall geese

Origin & Usage

Han Dynasty legends tell of beauty so extraordinary it caused fish to sink (沉鱼) and flying geese to descend (落雁). The phrase combines two legendary beauties: Xi Shi, whose reflection mesmerized fish into forgetting to swim, and Wang Zhaojun, whose appearance caused migrating geese to pause mid-flight. The power of beauty to disrupt even natural behavior suggested an almost supernatural level of impact. Modern usage describes beauty that creates an immediate, profound impact beyond mere aesthetic appreciation.

Examples

English: "The legendary beauty attracted admiring glances wherever she appeared"

Chinese: 这位传奇美人无论在哪里出现都吸引仰慕的目光