📖 Meaning
This idiom uses the cardamom plant as a metaphor for the budding beauty of a young girl. It specifically refers to a girl around thirteen or fourteen years old, in the bloom of early adolescence. The phrase evokes the image of tender, fresh beauty just beginning to unfold.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a poem by the Tang dynasty poet Du Mu, titled 'Parting Gift' (《赠别》). In the poem, Du Mu wrote 'Graceful and slender at thirteen and more, like cardamom buds in early second month.' He used the budding cardamom flower in early spring as a metaphor for a young courtesan's tender beauty. Over time, '豆蔻年华' came to refer specifically to the age of thirteen or fourteen for young women.
💡 Example Usage
她正值豆蔻年华，笑容清纯动人。
She is in the bloom of her early teens, her smile pure and charming.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 豆蔻年华
- Pinyin: dòu kòu nián huá
- Literal Translation: cardamom, fragrant, herb, years, time
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4