📖 Meaning
To bring to light what is obscure and subtle. It describes the act of revealing profound, hidden truths or making clear things that are difficult to perceive.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Pu Songling's 'Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio' (聊斋志异), a celebrated Qing Dynasty collection of supernatural tales, specifically from the story 'The Filial Son' (孝子). Pu Songling (1640–1715) wrote that those who oversee moral education have many duties and no time to publicly commend virtuous deeds, so revealing the hidden and subtle truths relies on the words of ordinary people.
💡 Example Usage
他的文章阐幽明微，令人叹服。
His writing brings the obscure and subtle to light, leaving readers in awe.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 阐幽明微
- Pinyin: chǎn yōu míng wēi
- Literal Translation: expound, hidden, illuminate, subtle
- Category: Clarity
- Characters: 4