📖 Meaning
A precious, fleeting moment of joy and pleasure, especially on a beautiful spring night. The phrase emphasizes how rare and valuable such delightful moments are, likening them to treasure. It is often used to describe cherished romantic or festive times.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Song Dynasty poet Su Shi (苏轼), specifically his poem 'Spring Night' (《春夜》). The famous line reads '春宵一刻值千金，花有清香月有阴' — a single quarter of a spring night is worth a thousand pieces of gold, when flowers give off pure fragrance and the moon casts gentle shade. Su Shi used this imagery to express how precious and fleeting the beautiful moments of a spring night are. Over time, the phrase came to describe any cherished, delightful moment that one wishes would last forever.
💡 Example Usage
他们共度春宵一刻，感受着难得的温馨与甜蜜。
They shared a precious spring night together, savoring the rare warmth and sweetness of the moment.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 春宵一刻
- Pinyin: chūn xiāo yī kè
- Literal Translation: spring, night, one, quarter
- Category: Philosophy
- Characters: 4