p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards Sign in

白璧微瑕

báibìwēixiá
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 a slight flaw in something otherwise excellent
  2. 2 a minor blemish on white jade — a small imperfection in something near-perfect

Examples

这部电影几乎完美，结尾稍弱算是白璧微瑕。
Zhè bù diànyǐng jīhū wánměi, jiéwěi shāo ruò suàn shì bái bì wēi xiá.
The film is nearly perfect — the slightly weak ending is a minor blemish on otherwise white jade.
他的文章写得很好，几个错别字只是白璧微瑕。
Tā de wénzhāng xiě de hěn hǎo, jǐ ge cuòbiézì zhǐ shì bái bì wēi xiá.
His essay is well-written; a few typos are just a minor blemish.

Tips

history
From Xiao Tong's preface to Tao Yuanming's collected works (萧统《陶渊明集序》, 6th c.): 白璧微瑕，惟在《闲情》一赋 — 'a slight flaw on white jade, only in [his rhapsody] On Idle Feelings'. Xiao Tong was praising Tao Yuanming overall while gently faulting one piece. The phrase has carried that meaning — 'almost perfect, with one small flaw' — ever since.
usage
Use to soften criticism: you're explicitly framing the flaw as small relative to overall excellence. Not for serious flaws — that would be sarcastic. Compare 瑕不掩瑜 (xiábùyǎnyú, 'the flaw doesn't hide the jade's brilliance').

Stroke Order

白 bái
璧 bì
微 wēi
瑕 xiá