📖 Meaning
Wondrous light and extraordinary colors. It describes something dazzlingly brilliant or strikingly splendid in appearance. Often used for scenes, objects, or displays that captivate the eye with their unusual radiance.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Qing dynasty novel 'Nie Hai Hua' (孽海花) by Zeng Pu, first published in the late 19th century. In the eleventh chapter, the narrator describes peering into an elegant bridal chamber filled with dazzling splendor, where wondrous light and extraordinary colors made it impossible to distinguish gold from jade, or flowers from embroidery, leaving the eyes utterly dazzled. The idiom thus evokes a scene of overwhelming visual opulence and refined luxury.
💡 Example Usage
夜晚的烟花在空中绽放，奇光异彩，令人目眩神迷。
The fireworks bloomed in the night sky, radiating wondrous light and extraordinary colors that left onlookers dazzled.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 奇光异彩
- Pinyin: qí guāng yì cǎi
- Literal Translation: wondrous, light, extraordinary, color
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4