📖 Meaning
An idiom describing a person whose face and bearing suggest the dignity of a sovereign. It likens one's countenance to a dragon's and one's manner to a phoenix's, two creatures long associated with imperial authority. Used to praise someone as noble, majestic, and possessed of an auspicious, regal aura.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom has no recorded literary origin; sources list no specific 出处. It is a traditional phrase built from the imagery of the dragon (龙) and the phoenix (凤), which have served since ancient times as symbols of the Chinese emperor and imperial power, with '龙颜' (dragon countenance) conventionally referring to the emperor's face. The expression thus simply combines these regal emblems to convey a face and bearing befitting a ruler. No particular dynasty or historical figure is associated with its coinage, and it appears to be a later literary formation rather than a classical allusion.
💡 Example Usage
他天生龙颜凤姿，令朝中上下无不叹服。
He was born with a dragon's face and a phoenix's bearing, and no one at court could help but admire him.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 龙颜凤姿
- Pinyin: lóng yán fèng zī
- Literal Translation: dragon, face, phoenix, bearing
- Category: Status
- Characters: 4