📖 Meaning
This idiom describes men and women exchanging gifts as tokens of mutual affection and love. It originates from the custom of young people gathering flowers and presenting them to each other during spring outings. It is used to express romantic courtship and the tender exchange between lovers.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom comes from the Book of Songs (诗经), specifically the poem 'Zhen Feng - Zhen Wei' (郑风·溱洧) from the Spring and Autumn period. The poem depicts young men and women strolling along the Zhen and Wei rivers during the Shangsi Festival (上巳节), a spring purification ritual. They banter playfully, and the man presents peonies to the woman as tokens of love. The original lines describe how 'the young men and women jest together, and present each other with peonies.' This became a classical metaphor for romantic gift-giving between lovers.
💡 Example Usage
这首诗描绘了青年男女采兰赠芍、互诉衷情的美好场景。
This poem depicts the beautiful scene of young men and women exchanging flowers and pouring out their hearts to each other.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 采兰赠芍
- Pinyin: cǎi lán zèng sháo
- Literal Translation: pick orchid, gift peony
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4