📖 Meaning
Describes someone whose eyes are bright and animated, radiating vitality and extraordinary spirit as they glance about. It portrays a person of striking bearing and lively intelligence, whose very gaze conveys brilliance and energy that captivates onlookers.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty masterpiece 'Dream of the Red Chamber' (红楼梦) by Cao Xueqin. In Chapter 3, when Lin Daiyu first arrives at the Rongguo Mansion, she meets the three Jia sisters. The passage describes the second sister, Jia Tanchun, as having sloping shoulders, a slender waist, a tall figure, an oval face, handsome eyes and elegant brows, with a gaze so spirited and radiant that one forgets worldly concerns upon seeing her. The phrase '顾盼神飞' captures Tanchun's vivid, intelligent expression and extraordinary demeanor. It later became a widely used literary expression to depict someone of remarkable bearing and animated spirit.
💡 Example Usage
只见那青年顾盼神飞，英气逼人，谈吐间自有不凡气度。
The young man's eyes sparkled with extraordinary spirit and commanding presence; his every word and gesture exuded an uncommon elegance.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 顾盼神飞
- Pinyin: gù pàn shén fēi
- Literal Translation: look around, glance, spirit, fly
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4