📖 Meaning
Describes a person who is quick-witted and sharp, yet also well-mannered and pleasant in a way that pleases others. Such a person combines mental agility with a likable, accommodating demeanor, making them easy to get along with and satisfying to deal with.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom appears in the Ming dynasty writer Feng Menglong's vernacular story collection Illustrious Words to Instruct the World (喻世明言), in the tale "Jiang Xingge Reunites with the Pearl Shirt." In the story, the young Jiang Xingge accompanies his father on business trips; after making the rounds several times, he becomes shrewd, adaptable, and well-mannered in the ways of trade, mastering all kinds of business skills. From this depiction of a clever and agreeable youth, the phrase came to describe anyone who is sharp-witted yet endearingly well-behaved.
💡 Example Usage
这孩子伶俐乖巧，深得老师和邻居们的喜爱。
This child is clever and well-mannered, deeply loved by the teachers and the neighbors.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 伶俐乖巧
- Pinyin: líng lì guāi qiǎo
- Literal Translation: clever, nimble, well-behaved, agreeable
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4