📖 Meaning
A phrase describing the tender and fragrant body of a woman. The characters 'jade' and 'fragrance' serve as traditional metonyms for women in classical Chinese literature. It was commonly used in old novels to evoke the soft, alluring qualities of a woman.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Wang Shifu's 'Romance of the Western Chamber' (西厢记), a celebrated Yuan dynasty drama. In the second scene of the first act, the scholar Zhang Sheng uses it to describe his longing for the beautiful Cui Yingying. The line suggests that merely being near such soft and fragrant beauty could dispel misfortune. It has since become a stock expression in vernacular fiction for describing women's physical allure.
💡 Example Usage
书生拥着软玉温香，不觉心神荡漾。
Embracing the soft and fragrant beauty, the scholar felt his heart stir involuntarily.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 软玉温香
- Pinyin: ruǎn yù wēn xiāng
- Literal Translation: soft, jade, warm, fragrance
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4