销魂

銷魂

xiāohún

adjective #20,118

Meanings

1 soul-stirring
2 enchanting
3 overwhelmingly moving (with joy or sorrow)

Characters

to dissolve / to melt away

Examples

她那销魂的笑容令他神魂颠倒。

Tā nà xiāohún de xiàoróng lìng tā shénhún diāndǎo.

Her enchanting smile left him utterly spellbound.

黯然销魂者，唯别而已矣。

Àn rán xiāohún zhě, wéi bié ér yǐ yǐ.

The most soul-stirring of all sorrows is parting.

Tips

register

销魂 is a classical and literary expression. In modern usage it often describes something deeply beautiful or moving, particularly in romantic or poetic contexts. The phrase 黯然销魂 (from Liu Xie's 刘勰 writing) captures overwhelmingly sad parting.

Stroke Order

销 xiāo

魂 hún