📖 Meaning
Describes a sudden flourishing of literary or artistic talent, as if one's writing brush has magically begun to bloom. It conveys the idea that one's creative ability has advanced significantly, producing work of remarkable brilliance and beauty.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a sanqu poem titled 'Appreciating Flowers · Playfully Congratulating a Friend on His New Marriage' by Tang Shi, a poet of the Yuan Dynasty. The line reads: 'Wherever the emerald sleeve shares its fragrance, the colorful brush produces flowers in familiar dreams.' The imagery evokes the legend of Li Bai, the great Tang poet, who dreamed his brush tip bloomed with flowers, after which his poetic genius soared. Over time, the phrase came to symbolize any sudden blossoming of creative or scholarly talent.
💡 Example Usage
经过一年苦练，他的文章彩笔生花，令人赞叹。
After a year of diligent practice, his writing blossomed with brilliance, earning widespread admiration.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 彩笔生花
- Pinyin: cǎi bǐ shēng huā
- Literal Translation: colorful, brush, produce, flowers
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4