旧貌变新颜

舊貌變新顏

jiù mào biàn xīn yán

quotation

Meanings

1 old appearance gives way to a new look
2 everything has taken on a fresh face
3 (lit.) the old visage has changed to a new countenance

Characters

face / countenance

Examples

HSK 5

十年没回来，家乡旧貌变新颜，我几乎认不出了。

Shínián méi huílái, jiāxiāng jiùmàobiànxīnyán, wǒ jīhū rèn bù chū le.

After ten years away, my hometown is utterly transformed - I barely recognize it.

HSK 6

改造后的老城区旧貌变新颜，吸引了不少游客。

Gǎizào hòu de lǎochéngqū jiùmàobiànxīnyán, xīyǐn le bùshǎo yóukè.

After renovation the old town has a brand-new look and draws plenty of tourists.

Tips

history

From Mao Zedong's (毛泽东) 1959 poem 《七律·到韶山》 (Seven-Character Regulated Verse: Arriving at Shaoshan). The couplet is 喜看稻菽千重浪，遍地英雄下夕烟，the exact phrase 旧貌变新颜 comes from his 《七律·送瘟神》二首 (Farewell to the Plague God). The phrase has since become standard for celebrating transformation.

usage

Common in news and propaganda describing urban renewal, poverty alleviation, or any dramatic makeover, positive and slightly formal. 颜 here means 'face / appearance,' not color.

Stroke Order

旧 jiù

貌 mào

变 biàn

新 xīn

颜 yán