姹紫嫣红

奼紫嫣紅

chàzǐ-yānhóng

idiom

Meanings

1 rich purples and bright reds
2 a riot of beautiful flowers
3 blossoms in dazzling colors

Characters

beautiful; lovely

bright; charming

Examples

HSK 3

春天来了，公园里姹紫嫣红，美不胜收。

Chūntiān lái le, gōngyuán lǐ chàzǐ-yānhóng, měibùshèngshōu.

Spring has arrived, and the park is a riot of purple and red - too beautiful to take in.

HSK 5

走进花园，姹紫嫣红的景象让人心情大好。

Zǒujìn huāyuán, chàzǐ-yānhóng de jǐngxiàng ràng rén xīnqíng dàhǎo.

Stepping into the garden, the riot of color lifted everyone's spirits.

HSK 7-9

花展上各种鲜花姹紫嫣红，令人目不暇接。

Huāzhǎn shàng gèzhǒng xiānhuā chàzǐ-yānhóng, lìngrén mùbùxiájiē.

At the flower show all kinds of blooms blazed in rich colors, dazzling to the eye.

Tips

history

From Tang Xianzu's 牡丹亭·惊梦 (Ming opera 'Peony Pavilion'): '原来姹紫嫣红开遍，似这般都付与断井颓垣' - the heroine sees all the brilliant blossoms wasted on a ruined garden. One of the most famous lines in Chinese drama.

usage

Almost exclusively for flowers in full bloom - gardens, parks, spring scenery. Don't use it for clothes or general 'colorful' things; for those, 五颜六色 fits better.

Stroke Order

姹 chà

紫 zǐ

嫣 yān

红 hóng