📖 Meaning
Human craftsmanship surpasses the wonders of nature. It is used to praise extremely exquisite and ingenious artistry or technique, implying that the work is so refined it seems to exceed what nature itself could produce.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a poem by the Yuan dynasty scholar and artist Zhao Mengfu titled 'To the Fireworks Maker' (赠放烟火者). The line reads, 'In the human world, clever art surpasses heaven's craft; refining chemicals and lighting lamps make the night as bright as day.' Zhao Mengfu admired how the fireworks maker's extraordinary skill could rival and even exceed natural splendor. Over time, the phrase '巧夺天工' came to describe any work of human skill so masterful that it outshines nature's own creations.
💡 Example Usage
这座木雕作品雕工精细，简直巧夺天工，令人叹为观止。
This woodcarving is so exquisitely detailed that its craftsmanship rivals nature itself, leaving viewers in awe.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 巧夺天工
- Pinyin: qiǎo duó tiān gōng
- Literal Translation: skill, surpass, heaven, craft
- Category: Skill
- Characters: 4