How do you pronounce 喜笑颜开?

喜笑颜开 is pronounced as "xǐ xiào yán kāi" in Mandarin Chinese.

喜笑颜开

Q: What does 喜笑颜开 mean?

喜笑颜开 (xǐ xiào yán kāi) literally means "Happy smile, face opens up" and metaphorically means "Be beaming with joy". It belongs to the Relationships & Character category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 喜笑颜开 used?

喜笑颜开 is used when The children's faces lit up when they saw the presents..

喜笑颜开 (xǐ xiào yán kāi) literally means “happy smile, face opens up” and expresses “be beaming with joy”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.

Also searched as: xi xiao yan kai, xi xiao yan kai,喜笑颜开 meaning, 喜笑颜开 in english

Be beaming with joy

Pronunciation: xǐ xiào yán kāi Literal meaning: Happy smile, face opens up

Origin & Usage

Pleasure (喜) breaking into a smile (笑) and the face (颜) opening (开). 开 does the work — the metaphor treats a face at rest as closed and happiness as the thing that opens it — which is why the phrase names a change rather than a state. Chinese uses it at the moment somebody hears good news, and it is warmest when the person had been worrying up until then. It belongs to older speakers and to writing more than to casual talk.

Examples

English: "The children's faces lit up when they saw the presents."

Chinese: 孩子们看到礼物时喜笑颜开。

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about relationships & character

喜闻乐见

xǐ wén lè jiàn

Enjoyed by all; universally popular

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喜怒无常

xǐ nù wú cháng

Be moody; have unpredictable emotions

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眉开眼笑

méi kāi yǎn xiào

Be all smiles; radiate happiness

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喜出望外

xǐ chū wàng wài

Overjoyed; pleasantly surprised

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鹤发童颜

hè fà tóng yán

Youthful despite old age

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笑里藏刀

xiào lǐ cáng dāo

Hide malice behind smile

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姑息养奸

gū xī yǎng jiān

Leniency encourages worse behavior

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如虎添翼

rú hǔ tiān yì

Add to one's strength; become even more powerful

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 喜笑颜开 mean in English?

喜笑颜开 (xǐ xiào yán kāi) literally translates to “Happy smile, face opens up” and is used to express “Be beaming with joy”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.