📖 Meaning
Originally referring to the boy and girl attendants who served immortals in Taoist mythology. Now used to describe innocent and lovely young boys and girls, or a well-matched, attractive young couple of a boy and a girl.
📜 Origin Story
The term originates from Taoist mythology, where golden boys and jade girls were celestial child attendants serving the immortals in heaven. It first appears in the Tang dynasty poet Xu Yanbo's poem 'Xing Bai Lu Guan Ying Zhi,' which describes 'the golden boy holding purple medicine, the jade girl offering green lotus.' The Yuan dynasty playwright Li Haogu later used the phrase in his play 'Zhang Sheng Boils the Sea,' writing 'the golden boy and jade girl are of one mind, the talented scholar and beautiful lady are rare in this world,' cementing its use as a metaphor for a perfectly matched young couple.
💡 Example Usage
婚礼上这对新人犹如金童玉女，令宾客赞叹不已。
The newlyweds at the wedding looked like a perfect golden boy and jade girl, drawing admiration from all the guests.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 金童玉女
- Pinyin: jīn tóng yù nǚ
- Literal Translation: golden, boy, jade, girl
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4