📖 Meaning
Describes a woman whose bearing and appearance are both exceptionally beautiful, likening her grace to that of a fairy and her looks to fine jade. It is used to praise a woman's refined and exquisite beauty.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom draws from Tang dynasty poetic tradition. The term '仙姿' (fairy-like posture) appears in Tang poetry describing graceful, otherworldly bearing, while '玉貌' (jade-like appearance) appears in the 'Gong Yuan' poem within the Yuefu Shiji (Anthology of Yuefu Poetry), which references '三千玉貌' (three thousand jade-like beauties) in the imperial palace. Combined, these classical poetic phrases form an expression praising the rare and exquisite beauty of women.
💡 Example Usage
只见她仙姿玉貌，举止娴雅，众人皆为之倾倒。
They saw that she possessed fairy-like grace and jade-like beauty, with elegant manners that captivated everyone present.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 仙姿玉貌
- Pinyin: xiān zī yù mào
- Literal Translation: fairy-like posture, jade-like appearance
- Category: Quality
- Characters: 4