笑容可掬

xiàoróngkějū

idiom #51,287

Meanings

Fúwùyuán xiào róng kě jū de yíngjiē kèrén.

The server greeted guests with a beaming smile.

Tā xiào róng kě jū, ràng rén yí jiàn jiù juéde qīnqiè.

Her warm smile made you feel at ease the moment you met her.

memory

掬 means to cup in both hands — the smile is so full you could scoop it up. A literal mental picture makes this one stick.

history

Made famous by 《三国演义》ch.95: Zhuge Liang sits atop the empty city gate 笑容可掬, playing qin, fooling Sima Yi into retreat — the Empty City Stratagem.

笑 xiào

容 róng

可 kě

掬 jū