回眸一笑百媚生

huí móu yí xiào bǎi mèi shēng

quotation

Meanings

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

Characters

to arise; to appear

Examples

HSK 6

导演要的就是那种回眸一笑百媚生的瞬间。

Dǎoyǎn yào de jiùshì nàzhǒng huímóuyíxiàobǎimèishēng de shùnjiān.

The director wanted exactly that 'glance-back-and-smile' moment.

HSK 7-9

她在红毯上回眸一笑百媚生，全场镜头都对准她。

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.

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

眸 (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

回 huí

眸 móu

一 yī

笑 xiào

百 bǎi

媚 mèi

生 shēng