锦上添花

錦上添花

jǐnshàngtiānhuā

idiom #22,154

Meanings

1 to add flowers to brocade
2 to make something good even better
3 icing on the cake

Characters

brocade / embroidered silk

on / above / upon

to add / to increase

flower / decoration

Examples

他已经很优秀了，这个奖项对他来说真是锦上添花。

Tā yǐjīng hěn yōuxiù le, zhège jiǎngxiàng duì tā lái shuō zhēn shì jǐn shàng tiān huā.

He was already excellent — this award is just icing on the cake for him.

好天气让这次旅行锦上添花。

Hǎo tiānqì ràng zhè cì lǚxíng jǐn shàng tiān huā.

The good weather made this trip even more wonderful.

Tips

usage

锦上添花 (icing on the cake) describes a bonus added to something already good. Its counterpart is 雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn — send charcoal in the snow), which means to help someone in genuine need. The two idioms are often contrasted.

Stroke Order

锦 jǐn

上 shàng

添 tiān

花 huā