📖 Meaning
This idiom describes the belief that beautiful women often suffer unfortunate or tragic destinies. It reflects the classical Chinese notion that extraordinary beauty invites misfortune rather than happiness. The phrase is used to express sympathy or lamentation when a beautiful woman encounters hardship or an early death.
📜 Origin Story
The sentiment appears in classical literature from the Tang dynasty onward, notably in Bai Juyi's poem 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow' (《长恨歌》) about the tragic fate of Imperial Consort Yang Guifei, whose beauty led to her downfall. The phrase itself crystallized from earlier folk wisdom and poetic tradition that linked feminine beauty with vulnerability to misfortune. It became a recurring motif in Chinese drama, poetry, and fiction as a shorthand for the tragic arc of beautiful female characters.
💡 Example Usage
自古红颜薄命，她年纪轻轻就身患重病，实在令人惋惜。
As the saying goes, beautiful women suffer tragic fates; it is truly heartbreaking that she fell gravely ill at such a young age.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 红颜薄命
- Pinyin: hóng yán bó mìng
- Literal Translation: red face, thin fate
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4