脍炙人口

膾炙人口

kuàizhìrénkǒu

idiom #50,758

Meanings

1 universally loved (idiom)
2 widely praised and on everyone's lips
3 (literally) like minced meat and roasted meat — delicious to all

Characters

Examples

这首诗脍炙人口，流传千年。

Zhè shǒu shī kuàizhìrénkǒu, liúchuán qiān nián.

This poem is universally loved and has been passed down for a thousand years.

李白的许多作品脍炙人口。

Lǐ Bái de xǔduō zuòpǐn kuàizhìrénkǒu.

Many of Li Bai's works are beloved by all.

这首歌脍炙人口，几乎人人会唱。

Zhè shǒu gē kuàizhìrénkǒu, jīhū rénrén huì chàng.

This song is on everyone's lips — nearly everyone can sing it.

Tips

history

From Five Dynasties writer Wang Dingbao's 《唐摭言》, praising certain Tang couplets as 皆脍炙人口 — as beloved as 脍 (minced raw meat) and 炙 (roasted meat), the two most craved foods at Tang banquets. The idiom stayed in literary criticism and now describes any widely beloved poem, song, or saying.

usage

Reserved for cultural works — poems, songs, stories, quotes. Do not use for food, products, or people. Strong praise: not just popular, but genuinely loved across generations.

Stroke Order

脍 kuài

炙 zhì

人 rén

口 kǒu