📖 Meaning
Describes a situation where, after a period of difficulty or apparent dead-end, things suddenly take a turn for the better. It conveys hope that a new path or opportunity will reveal itself just when all seems lost. Often used to encourage perseverance through dark times.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from a famous poem by the Song Dynasty poet Lu You (陆游), titled 'A Visit to Shanxi Village' (游山西村). The full couplet reads: '山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村,' meaning 'Amid layered mountains and winding streams I feared there was no road, yet through dark willows and bright flowers another village appeared.' The poem depicts a rural stroll in which the poet loses his way, only to stumble upon a hidden village — a metaphor for unexpected new hope.
💡 Example Usage
经历了连续几个月的创业失败后，他终于在柳暗花明中找到了新的投资人。
After months of startup failures, he finally found a new investor in an unexpected turn of fortune.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 柳暗花明
- Pinyin: liǔ àn huā míng
- Literal Translation: willow, dark, flower, bright
- Category: Recovery
- Characters: 4