眉开眼笑
眉开眼笑 (méi kāi yǎn xiào) literally means “brows open, eyes smile” and expresses “be all smiles; radiate happiness”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: mei kai yan xiao, mei kai yan xiao,眉开眼笑 meaning, 眉开眼笑 in english
Be all smiles; radiate happiness
Pronunciation: méi kāi yǎn xiào Literal meaning: Brows open, eyes smile
Origin & Usage
Brows (眉) opening (开) and eyes (眼) smiling (笑). The observation is anatomically shrewd: the brow releasing and the eyes creasing are the two things a false smile does not do, which is why the phrase reads as a claim about sincerity rather than about degree. Pleasure that arrived without being managed — a grandparent handed a photograph, a customer given more than they expected — and the near opposite of 愁眉苦脸.
Examples
English: "Receiving the good news, her whole face lit up with happiness."
Chinese: 收到好消息，她眉开眼笑。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
眉飞色舞
méi fēi sè wǔ
Be animated with excitement
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喜笑颜开
xǐ xiào yán kāi
Be beaming with joy
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豁然开朗
huò rán kāi lǎng
Suddenly see the light; become clear
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眼高手低
yǎn gāo shǒu dī
Standards exceed abilities
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大惊小怪
dà jīng xiǎo guài
Make a fuss about nothing
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笑里藏刀
xiào lǐ cáng dāo
Hide malice behind smile
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恍然大悟
huǎng rán dà wù
Sudden complete understanding after confusion
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意想不到
yì xiǎng bù dào
Unexpected; unforeseen
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 眉开眼笑 mean in English?
眉开眼笑 (méi kāi yǎn xiào) literally translates to “Brows open, eyes smile” and is used to express “Be all smiles; radiate happiness”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 眉开眼笑 used?
Situation: Receiving the good news, her whole face lit up with happiness.
What is the pinyin for 眉开眼笑?
The pinyin pronunciation for 眉开眼笑 is “méi kāi yǎn xiào”.