📖 Meaning
Literally 'a lotus rising from the water.' It describes poetry or prose that is fresh, natural, and free from artificial ornamentation. It is also used to praise a woman's natural, unadorned beauty.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the 'Shipin' (Classifications of Poetry) by Zhong Rong of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. He compared the poetry of Xie Lingyun to 'a lotus emerging from water' — fresh and natural — while contrasting it with Yan Yanzhi's poetry, which he likened to 'intricately woven gold and painted colors' — dazzling but artificial. This established the idiom as a standard for evaluating literary freshness and natural grace.
💡 Example Usage
她的文章清新脱俗，宛如出水芙蓉，令人读来心旷神怡。
Her writing is fresh and unadorned, like a lotus rising from the water, leaving readers feeling refreshed and delighted.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 出水芙蓉
- Pinyin: chū shuǐ fú róng
- Literal Translation: out, water, lotus, hibiscus
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4