📖 Meaning
Describes a person whose bearing is dignified, graceful, and exquisitely refined. It conveys a classical elegance that combines poise with natural beauty, suggesting someone of cultivated taste and noble demeanor.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from Chapter 14 of Cao Xueqin's Qing dynasty masterpiece 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (《红楼梦》). It is used to describe Wang Xifeng (凤姐), the capable and charismatic young mistress of the Jia household, as she single-handedly manages the elaborate funeral arrangements for Qin Keqing. The narrator observes her poised, magnetic presence — 'free-spirited and graceful, dignified and refined' — and compares her to 'a single spot of red amid ten thousand shades of green,' underscoring how she stood out brilliantly among the crowd with her commanding yet elegant authority.
💡 Example Usage
她虽年轻，言行却典则俊雅，令人折服。
Though young, her speech and conduct were dignified and elegantly refined, winning everyone's admiration.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 典则俊雅
- Pinyin: diǎn zé jùn yǎ
- Literal Translation: classic, standard, refined, elegant
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4