风和日丽

Pronunciation: fēng hé rì lì Literal meaning: Wind gentle and sun beautiful

Origin & Usage

A gentle (和) wind (风) and a fine (丽) sun (日). Both halves are moderate on purpose — 和 is harmonious rather than strong, 丽 is lovely rather than blazing — so what is being praised is weather with nothing extreme in it, which is a whole aesthetic preference stated in four characters. It belongs at the opening of an account of a day out, and Chinese still uses it that way in travel writing and in the first line of a report on an outdoor event. It also works figuratively, of conditions that are simply not against you.

Examples

English: "It was a perfect day for the outdoor wedding ceremony."

Chinese: 风和日丽的天气非常适合户外婚礼。