姹紫嫣红

奼紫嫣紅

chàzǐyānhóng

idiom

Meanings

1 rich purples and bright reds
2 a riot of beautiful flowers
3 blossoms in dazzling colors

Characters

beautiful; lovely

bright; charming

Examples

春天来了，公园里姹紫嫣红，美不胜收。

Chūntiān lái le, gōngyuán lǐ chà zǐ yān hóng, měi bú shèng shōu.

Spring has arrived, and the park is a riot of purple and red — too beautiful to take in.

花展上各种鲜花姹紫嫣红，令人目不暇接。

Huāzhǎn shàng gèzhǒng xiānhuā chà zǐ yān hóng, lìng rén mù bù xiá jiē.

At the flower show all kinds of blooms blazed in rich colors, dazzling to the eye.

走进花园，姹紫嫣红的景象让人心情大好。

Zǒu jìn huāyuán, chà zǐ yān hóng de jǐngxiàng ràng rén xīnqíng dà hǎo.

Stepping into the garden, the riot of color lifted everyone's spirits.

Tips

history

From Tang Xianzu's 《牡丹亭·惊梦》 (Ming opera 'Peony Pavilion'): '原来姹紫嫣红开遍，似这般都付与断井颓垣' — the heroine sees all the brilliant blossoms wasted on a ruined garden. One of the most famous lines in Chinese drama.

usage

Almost exclusively for flowers in full bloom — gardens, parks, spring scenery. Don't use it for clothes or general 'colorful' things; for those, 五颜六色 (wǔyán liùsè) fits better.

Stroke Order

姹 chà

紫 zǐ

嫣 yān

红 hóng