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

HSK 7-9
Tā zài hóngtǎn shàng huímóu yī xiào bǎi mèi shēng, quánchǎng jìngtóu dōu duìzhǔn tā.
On the red carpet, her glance and smile made every camera swivel toward her.
HSK 7-9
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: 回眸一笑百媚生六宫粉黛无颜色 - '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; 回眸 = to turn one's eyes back. The following line 六宫粉黛无颜色 is often quoted together to complete the hyperbole.

Stroke Order

huí
móu
xiào
bǎi
mèi
shēng