📖 Meaning
Looking back at one's own shadow and feeling sorry for oneself. It describes a state of loneliness and dejection, but can also refer to self-admiration or being pleased with one's own appearance.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a poem by the Jin Dynasty writer Lu Ji (陆机), titled 'Written on the Way to Luoyang' (《赴洛道中作》). The line reads: 'Standing still, gazing toward my homeland, I look at my shadow and sadly pity myself.' Lu Ji was traveling far from home to take up an official post, and the image of gazing at his own lonely shadow conveyed his homesickness and sense of isolation. Over time the phrase came to describe both self-pity in loneliness and a kind of narcissistic self-appreciation.
💡 Example Usage
失业后他整日顾影自怜，不愿与人交往。
After losing his job, he spent his days feeling sorry for himself, unwilling to socialize with anyone.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 顾影自怜
- Pinyin: gù yǐng zì lián
- Literal Translation: look at, shadow, oneself, pity
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4