📖 Meaning
The character 扣 means to strike or knock. This idiom describes something deeply moving and thrilling that stirs people's emotions, as if plucking the strings of one's heart. It is commonly used for speeches, performances, or scenes that powerfully excite or touch an audience.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the modern Chinese novel 《东方》 (The East) by the writer Wei Wei (魏巍), Part Two, Chapter Seven. The passage describes a person who was said to be most reluctant to speak, yet whose few words that day were so stirring that they moved the listener to tears on the spot. From this usage the phrase entered common literary circulation to denote words, events, or scenes that profoundly move the heart.
💡 Example Usage
这场足球比赛扣人心弦，全场观众都屏住了呼吸。
The football match was so thrilling that the entire audience held their breath.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 扣人心弦
- Pinyin: kòu rén xīn xián
- Literal Translation: strike, person, heart, string
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4