📖 Meaning
A metaphor for the crucial detail that brings a painting or literary work to life by capturing its essential spirit. It refers to the small, deft touch that conveys the inner vitality of a subject. The phrase is interchangeable with the variant '颊上三毛'.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom traces back to a story about the celebrated Eastern Jin dynasty painter Gu Kaizhi (顾恺之), recorded in 'A New Account of the Tales of the World' (世说新语). Gu Kaizhi was renowned for his figure paintings and believed that the spirit of a subject lay in subtle, easily overlooked details. He once observed that merely adding three fine hairs on a person's cheek could animate an entire portrait, endowing it with lifelike presence. Over time, the expression came to denote the masterful touch that infuses any creative work with its soul.
💡 Example Usage
这篇文章的最后一段写得极妙，真有颊上三毫之感。
The final paragraph of this essay is written with extraordinary subtlety, truly capturing that defining touch of spirit.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 颊上三毫
- Pinyin: jiá shàng sān háo
- Literal Translation: cheek, on, three, hairs
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4