📖 Meaning
Literally 'seems to have been recognized before.' It describes the feeling that something encountered now has been seen or experienced before, even though one cannot pinpoint when or where. It is often used to convey a sense of déjà vu or vague familiarity toward a person, place, or scene.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from a ci poem 'Huan Xi Sha' by the Northern Song poet Yan Shu. The famous lines read, 'Helplessly the flowers fall away; the returning swallows seem familiar, as if once known; alone I linger on the garden's fragrant path.' Written in late spring, the poem pairs the inevitable fading of blossoms with the comforting return of swallows that feel like old acquaintances. Over time '似曾相识' was extracted from the verse as a four-character idiom to describe anything that reappears and stirs a faint, half-remembered sense of recognition.
💡 Example Usage
这部电影的画面让我有一种似曾相识的感觉。
The imagery in this film gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 似曾相识
- Pinyin: sì céng xiāng shí
- Literal Translation: seems, once, mutually, recognize
- Category: Knowledge
- Characters: 4