📖 Meaning
To invent new tricks or devise novel patterns; to create something original by putting a fresh spin on existing methods. It is equivalent to the idiom '花样翻新' (innovating with new variations).
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the preface of '再生缘' (The Tale of Zai Sheng Yuan), a renowned Qing dynasty tanci (ballad narrative) work, written by the female author Hou Zhi (侯芝). In her preface, Hou Zhi described how over ten years she set aside classical essays to focus on revising and rewriting drum-and-ballad lyrics, constantly creating new patterns and variations—'花样新翻'. She expressed concern that words might fail to convey her meaning, comparing her craft to weaving on a loom where the hands cannot always keep up with the mind's ingenuity.
💡 Example Usage
这款手机的广告设计花样新翻，吸引了大量消费者的目光。
The advertising design for this phone invented fresh new tricks and caught the attention of a large number of consumers.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 花样新翻
- Pinyin: huā yàng xīn fān
- Literal Translation: flower, pattern, new, turn over
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4