回眸一笑百媚生

huí móu yī xiào bǎi mèi shēng
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 a single glance back and smile, and a hundred charms appear
  2. 2 one look over the shoulder and every woman pales in comparison

Examples

Tā zài hóngtǎn shànghuí móu yī xiào bǎi mèi shēng, quánchǎng jìngtóu dōu duìzhǔn tā.
On the red carpet, her glance and smile made every camera swivel toward her.
Dǎoyǎn yào de jiùshì nàzhǒng huímóuyīxiàobǎimèishēng de shùnjiān.
The director wanted exactly that 'glance-back-and-smile' moment.

Tips

history
From 白居易 Bai Juyi 《长恨歌》, describing Yang Guifei: 颜色 — 'one backward glance and smile, a hundred charms arose; the painted beauties of the six palaces all lost their color.' The defining line for Tang-era beauty.
usage
(móu) = pupil/eye; = to turn one's eyes back. The following line 颜色 is often quoted together to complete the hyperbole.

Stroke Order

huí
móu
xiào
bǎi
mèi
shēng