喜上眉梢
喜上眉梢 (xǐ shàng méi shāo) literally means “joy rises to the tips of the eyebrows” and expresses “visibly delighted; may joy come your way”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: xi shang mei shao, xi shang mei shao,喜上眉梢 meaning, 喜上眉梢 in english
Visibly delighted; may joy come your way
Pronunciation: xǐ shàng méi shāo Literal meaning: Joy rises to the tips of the eyebrows
Origin & Usage
喜 is 'joy', 上 is 'to rise onto', and 眉梢 is 'the tips of the eyebrows'. The phrase describes happiness so strong it shows on your face. Dictionaries cite the Qing novel A Tale of Heroic Lovers (《儿女英雄传》, chapter 23): 'after thinking a long while, he hit on a plan, and without realising it joy rose to his brows' (思索良久，得了主意，不觉喜上眉梢). It is mainly a descriptive phrase, but it has a New Year life through a picture pun: a magpie (喜鹊, the 'joy bird') perched on a plum branch (梅, méi, which sounds like 眉, 'eyebrow') reads as 喜上眉梢. The magpie-on-plum motif, also called 喜鹊登梅, is common on New Year prints, paper cuts and cards. As a wish it means 'may happy news come your way'.
Examples
English: "When she heard her visa had been approved, joy was written all over her face."
Chinese: 听说儿子过年要回家，妈妈喜上眉梢。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
眉飞色舞
méi fēi sè wǔ
Be animated with excitement
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眉开眼笑
méi kāi yǎn xiào
Be all smiles; radiate happiness
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愁眉苦脸
chóu méi kǔ liǎn
Look worried and unhappy
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举案齐眉
jǔ àn qí méi
Married couple with great mutual respect
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眉目传情
méi mù chuán qíng
Non-verbal affection
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喜怒无常
xǐ nù wú cháng
Be moody; have unpredictable emotions
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喜笑颜开
xǐ xiào yán kāi
Be beaming with joy
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迫在眉睫
pò zài méi jié
Extremely urgent
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 喜上眉梢 mean in English?
喜上眉梢 (xǐ shàng méi shāo) literally translates to “Joy rises to the tips of the eyebrows” and is used to express “Visibly delighted; may joy come your way”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 喜上眉梢 used?
Situation: When she heard her visa had been approved, joy was written all over her face.
What is the pinyin for 喜上眉梢?
The pinyin pronunciation for 喜上眉梢 is “xǐ shàng méi shāo”.