搔首弄姿

sāoshǒunòngzī

idiom #33,863

Meanings

1 to strike a coquettish pose
2 to play up one's looks
3 to preen and pose affectedly

Characters

to play with, to fuss over

posture, appearance

Examples

她在镜头前搔首弄姿，让人看了不舒服。

Tā zài jìngtóu qián sāoshǒunòngzī, ràng rén kàn le bù shūfu.

She preens and poses for the camera in a way that makes people uncomfortable.

别在那儿搔首弄姿了，我们要迟到了。

Bié zài nàr sāoshǒunòngzī le, wǒmen yào chídào le.

Stop fussing over your looks — we're going to be late.

Tips

history

From the 《后汉书·李固传》 (Book of the Later Han, Biography of Li Gu): at the emperor's funeral, while everyone wept, Li Gu 'powdered his face, scratched his head and posed' (胡粉饰貌，搔头弄姿) instead of mourning — fixing himself up at a moment of national grief. The phrase has carried a sneer ever since.

register

Almost always pejorative and overwhelmingly applied to women — the implication is vain, attention-seeking, performative. Use carefully; it can be read as misogynistic if used casually.

Stroke Order

搔 sāo

首 shǒu

弄 nòng

姿 zī