📖 Meaning
Describes someone who is emaciated and sallow-faced from hunger or hardship. 'Swan shape' refers to a thin, gaunt figure, while 'vegetable color' evokes a greenish, unhealthy complexion. It vividly portrays severe malnourishment.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from a memorial to the throne written by Lu Xiangsheng, a Ming Dynasty official, titled 'Memorial on Managing Military Farming in the Eleventh Year of Chongzhen.' In the text, Lu describes the plight of the people on the northern frontier: the few survivors were gaunt and sallow, and those who perished in ditches and ravines were everywhere to be seen. The phrase vividly depicts the devastating famine and hardship that ravaged the border regions during the late Ming period.
💡 Example Usage
连年灾荒，村中百姓鹄形菜色，令人心痛。
After years of famine, the villagers grew gaunt and sallow-faced, a heartbreaking sight.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 鹄形菜色
- Pinyin: hú xíng cài sè
- Literal Translation: swan shape, vegetable color
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4