📖 Meaning
To place one's hand on one's forehead while expressing praise and gratitude, conveying a sense of joyful relief and thanksgiving. It is synonymous with the idiom 额手称庆. The gesture symbolizes deep appreciation and celebration of a favorable outcome.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel《野叟曝言》(Tale of a Wild Old Man) by Xia Jingqu (夏敬渠). In Chapter 57, after a dramatic turn of events, the characters emerge rejoicing and recount what happened; everyone is astonished and amazed, placing their hands on their foreheads in praise, as if intoxicated and dreaming, wild with joy. The idiom later appeared in works such as Xu Ke's《清稗类钞》, where it described public admiration for Empress Xiaozhen's wise handling of major state affairs.
💡 Example Usage
战争结束后，百姓们额手称颂，欢庆和平的到来。
After the war ended, the people placed their hands on their foreheads in praise, celebrating the arrival of peace.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 额手称颂
- Pinyin: é shǒu chēng sòng
- Literal Translation: forehead, hand, praise, extol
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4