触景生情
触景生情 (chù jǐng shēng qíng) literally means “touching scenery produces feelings” and expresses “moved by the sight of something familiar”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: chu jing sheng qing, chu jing sheng qing,触景生情 meaning, 触景生情 in english
Moved by the sight of something familiar
Pronunciation: chù jǐng shēng qíng
Literal meaning: Touching scenery produces feelings
Origin & Usage
This idiom describes how encountering (触) a scene (景) can produce (生) emotions (情). It captures the powerful connection between places, objects, and emotional memory. The phrase appeared in Tang Dynasty poetry theory explaining how poets drew inspiration from their surroundings. Chinese aesthetics has long valued this responsiveness to environment as essential to artistic sensitivity. Modern usage describes being moved by revisiting meaningful places, encountering nostalgic objects, or any situation where external stimuli awaken deep feelings.
Examples
English: "Returning to his childhood home stirred deep emotions within him."
Chinese: 回到儿时的家乡让他触景生情。
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Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
一帆风顺
yī fān fēng shùn
Plain sailing; everything going smoothly
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千里迢迢
qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo
Travel a great distance
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民富国强
mín fù guó qiáng
Prosperous people and powerful nation
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国泰民安
guó tài mín ān
National peace and public security
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太平盛世
tài píng shèng shì
Golden age of peace and prosperity
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四海升平
sì hǎi shēng píng
Peace everywhere; universal harmony
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安土重迁
ān tǔ zhòng qiān
Prefer stability; reluctant to relocate
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故土难离
gù tǔ nán lí
Hard to leave one's homeland
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 触景生情 mean in English?
触景生情 (chù jǐng shēng qíng) literally translates to “Touching scenery produces feelings” and is used to express “Moved by the sight of something familiar”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 触景生情 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving moved by the sight of something familiar.
What is the pinyin for 触景生情?
The pinyin pronunciation for 触景生情 is “chù jǐng shēng qíng”.