📖 Meaning
To change from anger to happiness; to put aside one's wrath and become pleased. It describes a person who, though initially angry, is won over or mollified so that their mood turns to delight.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Yuan dynasty play '还牢末' (Huan Lao Mo) by playwright Li Zhiyuan, in which a character resigns himself to an unpleasant situation and must 'turn anger into joy' to get by. The phrase literally describes suppressing one's displeasure and adopting a cheerful demeanor. It later became a common set phrase meaning to switch from anger to gladness, also appearing in Ming dynasty works such as Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods).
💡 Example Usage
母亲见儿子认错诚恳，不由得回嗔作喜。
Seeing her son sincerely admit his mistake, the mother couldn't help but turn her anger into joy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 回嗔作喜
- Pinyin: huí chēn zuò xǐ
- Literal Translation: turn, anger, become, joy
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4