📖 Meaning
The 'Nine Springs' refers to the deep underworld, the traditional resting place of the dead in Chinese belief. To 'smile in the Nine Springs' means to die feeling content and gratified, as if one would be pleased even in the afterlife. It expresses deep satisfaction or comfort upon seeing something fulfilled before death.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Qing dynasty novel 'Flowers in the Mirror' (镜花缘) by Li Ruzhen. In the third chapter, a character says that if their child could help relieve even half of their burden, they would smile contentedly in the Nine Springs—meaning they could die happy. The phrase has since been used to describe someone who passes away feeling fulfilled and at peace.
💡 Example Usage
看到儿子学有所成，父亲含笑九泉，再无遗憾。
Seeing his son achieve success in his studies, the father could smile in the Nine Springs with no regrets.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 含笑九泉
- Pinyin: hán xiào jiǔ quán
- Literal Translation: hold, smile, nine, springs
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4