欲仙欲死

yùxiān-yùsǐ
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 lit. about to ascend as an immortal, about to die
  2. 2 fig. to experience sheer ecstasy (or, ironically, sheer hell)

Examples

HSK 3
Nà yī dùn fàn ràng tā chī de yùxiān-yùsǐ.
That meal sent him into pure rapture.
HSK 7-9
Tīngdào zhè shǒu gē, tā táozuì de yùxiān-yùsǐ.
Listening to this song, he was so intoxicated he was in absolute ecstasy.

Tips

register
Often used in romantic, gourmand, or sensual contexts to describe overwhelming pleasure - like floating up to heaven and being struck dead at the same time. Can also be used ironically for unbearable suffering.
mistakes
Stronger and more risqué than 飘飘欲仙 ('feeling as light as a floating immortal'). Save it for moments of genuine sensory overload.

Stroke Order

xiān