五味杂陈

五味雜陳

wǔwèizáchén

idiom

Meanings

1 a mix of feelings (sweet, sour, bitter, etc., all at once)
2 with mixed emotions

Characters

mixed / jumbled

to display / lay out

Examples

听到这个消息，我心里五味杂陈。

Tīngdào zhège xiāoxi, wǒ xīnli wǔwèi-záchén.

Hearing the news, I felt a mix of emotions.

看着老照片，他五味杂陈，说不出话来。

Kàn zhe lǎo zhàopiàn, tā wǔwèi-záchén, shuō bù chū huà lái.

Looking at the old photos he was overcome with mixed feelings, unable to speak.

Tips

history

五味 = the five Chinese flavors (酸甜苦辣咸 — sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, salty); 杂陈 = 'jumbled together / on display'. Originally a literal description of a banquet table laid with all flavors, now a stock metaphor for emotional confusion — pride mixed with loss, joy with sadness, all in one moment.

Stroke Order

五 wǔ

味 wèi

杂 zá

陈 chén