📖 Meaning
Describes a feeling of longing so deep it penetrates the bones, persisting over time without fading. It conveys an intense, enduring yearning for someone, most often a romantic partner or loved one far away.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from a lyric by the Five Dynasties poet Wen Tingyun, in his work 'Newly Added Willow Branch Songs, No. 2.' The poem depicts a woman lighting a lamp at the bottom of a well to illuminate her beloved, urging him on his long journey not to linger at the chessboard—a pun, since 'weiqi' sounds like 'return late.' The famous lines embed red beans (a symbol of lovesickness) into polished dice, asking whether the beloved knows of this bone-piercing yearning. The image of lovesickness carved into bone has since become a lasting metaphor for deep, unrelenting longing.
💡 Example Usage
自分别后，她对远方恋人的入骨相思从未消减。
Since they parted, her bone-deep yearning for her distant lover has never faded.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 入骨相思
- Pinyin: rù gǔ xiāng sī
- Literal Translation: enter, bone, mutual, yearning
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4