8 Poetic Chinese Idioms About Beauty (闭月羞花 & The Four Beauties)
Discover the most beautiful Chinese idioms describing beauty, including the famous 闭月羞花 and 沉鱼落雁 from the Four Beauties of ancient China.
What does 闭月羞花 (bì yuè xiū huā) mean? This iconic idiom describes beauty so stunning that the moon hides and flowers feel shy. Together with 沉鱼落雁, these phrases honor the legendary Four Beauties of ancient China whose grace became immortalized in language.
闭月羞花
bì yuè xiū huāExceptionally beautiful
Literal: Moon hides flowers shy
Originating from descriptions of the legendary beauty Yang Guifei, one of China's Four Great Beauties, this idiom suggests a beauty so radiant it could cause the moon (月) to hide (闭) and flowers (花) to feel shame (羞). The phrase first appeared in Tang Dynasty poetry, reflecting the period's aestheti...
Example
Her elegant presentation captivated the entire audience
她优雅的演讲吸引了全场观众
沉鱼落雁
chén yú luò yànBeauty so stunning it affects natural world
Literal: Sink fish fall geese
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-fligh...
Example
The legendary beauty attracted admiring glances wherever she appeared
这位传奇美人无论在哪里出现都吸引仰慕的目光
爱屋及乌
ài wū jí wūLove extends to all connections
Literal: Love house and its crow
This tender expression describes how love (爱) for a house (屋) extends (及) even to the crow (乌) perched on its roof. Dating back to the Warring States period, it first appeared in texts discussing how affection naturally spreads to associated things. The crow, often considered an unremarkable bird, b...
Example
She loved her friend so much that she even cherished her friend's peculiar habits
她如此喜欢她的朋友，连朋友的怪癖也觉得可爱
春风化雨
chūn fēng huà yǔGentle, nurturing influence
Literal: Spring wind becomes rain
This poetic metaphor traces back to the Han Dynasty's educational philosophy, where ideal teaching was compared to spring winds (春风) transforming into nurturing rain (化雨). The imagery draws from agricultural wisdom – spring breezes and gentle rains nurture plants without forcing growth. Scholar Han ...
Example
The teacher's patient guidance slowly transformed the struggling student
老师耐心的引导慢慢改变了这个困难学生
倾盖如故
qīng gài rú gùInstant friendship
Literal: Tilt hat like old friends
Dating to the Spring and Autumn period, this elegant idiom describes the instant rapport between kindred spirits, comparing it to tilting (倾) carriage covers (盖) while greeting as if (如) old (故) friends. The image comes from ancient Chinese road etiquette, where travelers would tilt their carriage c...
Example
The two scientists immediately recognized their shared passion for research
两位科学家立即认识到他们对研究的共同热情
高山流水
gāo shān liú shuǐPerfect artistic understanding between friends
Literal: High mountain flowing water
This aesthetic idiom pairs lofty (高) mountains (山) with flowing (流) water (水), originating from a famous friendship between Zhong Ziqi and musician Bo Ya during the Spring and Autumn period. Historical texts recount how Bo Ya would play his qin while Zhong Ziqi perfectly understood his musical inten...
Example
The virtuoso's performance demonstrated perfect artistic harmony and expression
这位大师的表演展示了完美的艺术和谐与表现力
柳暗花明
liǔ àn huā míngHope appears in darkness
Literal: Dark willows bright flowers
This idiom comes from a line in Tang Dynasty poet Lu Zhaolin's work, describing a moment where a traveler, surrounded by dark willows (柳暗), suddenly discovers a bright clearing filled with flowers (花明). The imagery draws from classical Chinese garden design, where winding paths deliberately obscured...
Example
After months of setbacks, they finally had their breakthrough
经过几个月的挫折，他们终于取得了突破
青梅竹马
qīng méi zhú mǎChildhood sweethearts or friends
Literal: Green plums and bamboo horses
This nostalgic idiom pairs green plums (青梅) with bamboo horses (竹马), originating from Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's verse about childhood playmates. It described children gathering plums while riding makeshift hobby horses crafted from bamboo—a common children's game in ancient China. The specific imag...
Example
The couple had known each other since early childhood, playing together in their village
这对夫妇从小就认识，在村子里一起玩耍
Quick Reference
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