喜形于色

喜形於色

xǐxíngyúsè

idiom #57,397

Meanings

1 one's face lights up with joy
2 to beam with delight

Characters

facial expression

Examples

听到好消息，他喜形于色。

Tīngdào hǎo xiāoxi, tā xǐxíngyúsè.

Hearing the good news, his face lit up with joy.

她中奖后喜形于色，难掩兴奋。

Tā zhòngjiǎng hòu xǐxíngyúsè, nányǎn xīngfèn.

After winning the lottery she beamed with joy, unable to hide her excitement.

Tips

history

From 唐·吴兢《贞观政要·纳谏》: 太宗闻其言，喜形于色 — the Tang emperor Taizong, upon hearing wise counsel, 'showed his joy on his face.' 形 here means 'to manifest,' 色 means 'facial expression.' Antonym: 不动声色 (búdòngshēngsè, betraying nothing).

Stroke Order

喜 xǐ

形 xíng

于 yú

色 sè