📖 Meaning
Describes a person—traditionally a woman—who possesses both beautiful physical appearance and refined, cultivated bearing or wisdom. The idiom emphasizes the harmonious union of outer beauty and inner cultivation, conveying an ideal of grace that encompasses both form and character.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Zhao Hun' (Summons of the Soul), a poem attributed to Song Yu of the Chu state during the Warring States period. The original line '姱容修态，絙洞房些' depicted beautiful women with refined bearing in the inner chambers of a palace. The poem itself was a ritualistic text calling a wandering soul back home, enumerating worldly pleasures to entice its return. Over centuries, the phrase evolved into a standalone expression praising someone whose beauty is matched by cultivated character and far-reaching wisdom.
💡 Example Usage
她天生姱容修态，走到哪里都引人注目。
Born with beautiful looks and a refined bearing, she drew attention wherever she went.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 姱容修态
- Pinyin: kuā róng xiū tài
- Literal Translation: beautiful, appearance, cultivated, bearing
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4