回春

huíchūn
verb #37,597

Meanings

  1. 1 return of spring
  2. 2 to bring (a patient) back to life
  3. 3 to revive
  4. 4 to rejuvenate

Examples

Dàdì huíchūn, wànwù fùsū.
Spring returns to the earth and everything comes back to life.
Tā miàoshǒu huíchūn, zhì hǎole wǒ fùqīn de bìng.
His skilled hands worked wonders and cured my father.

Tips

history
The four-character set phrase 妙手回春 (miàoshǒu huíchūn, 'skilled hands bring back spring') is a high compliment for a doctor — likening recovery from illness to nature reawakening after winter. Calligraphic plaques with these four characters are still given to physicians as gratitude gifts in mainland China and Taiwan.
usage
Two distinct senses: literal seasonal return (大地回春) and medical revival (起死回生 / 妙手回春). Also extends to renewal in art, business, or fortune: 回春 ('the old tree blooms again').

Stroke Order

huí
chūn