📖 Meaning
Originally referred to He Yan, whose face was so fair and pale it seemed as though he had applied powder. It now generally describes a strikingly handsome man, especially one with a light and refined complexion.
📜 Origin Story
He Yan (style name Pingshu) was the adopted son of the warlord Cao Cao during the Three Kingdoms period. According to 'A New Account of the Tales of the World' (Shishuo Xinyu) compiled by Liu Yiqing of the Southern Dynasties, He Yan was famed for his fine bearing and remarkably white complexion. Emperor Ming of Wei was so struck by his paleness that he suspected He Yan had applied powder to his face. The story gave rise to this idiom, which later came to describe any exceptionally handsome man.
💡 Example Usage
他面如冠玉，肤若凝脂，被人戏称为傅粉何郎。
His face was as smooth as jade and his skin as fair as congealed fat, earning him the playful nickname of the powdered He Yan.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 傅粉何郎
- Pinyin: fù fěn hé láng
- Literal Translation: apply, powder, He, young man
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4