📖 Meaning
To have a uniquely ingenious and creative mind. It describes showing originality and distinctive creativity in technique, art, or design.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in modern literary criticism, notably in the poetry journal 《诗刊》(Poetry) in its 1978 third issue, which praised the Tang dynasty poet Li He for his masterful use of metaphor and imagery. The term 匠心 refers to the clever, skillful mind of a craftsman, while 独具 means to possess uniquely or alone. Together they describe someone whose creative approach is distinctively original and cannot be easily imitated.
💡 Example Usage
他的这种设计真是独具匠心。
His design is truly original and ingenious.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 独具匠心
- Pinyin: dú jù jiàng xīn
- Literal Translation: alone, possess, craftsman, heart
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4