📖 Meaning
Describes the physical sensation of being slightly intoxicated, when one's vision blurs and ears feel warm and flushed. It captures the tipsy state after drinking a moderate amount of alcohol, before full drunkenness sets in.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai's famous poem 'The Knight-Errant' (侠客行). The line reads: 'After eyes blur and ears grow hot, a heroic spirit arises like a white rainbow.' Li Bai used the expression to depict a swordsman flushed with wine, whose courage and passion surge forth in a heightened, exhilarated state. The Southern Song poet Lu You also employed the phrase in his poem 'Drinking in the Fields' (野饮), writing 'When eyes blur and ears grow hot, words flow freely; then one sobers abruptly as if having passed through fire.'
💡 Example Usage
几杯酒下肚，他便觉得眼花耳热，话语也多了起来。
After a few drinks, he felt his eyes blur and ears grow warm, and his words began to flow freely.
🏷️ Category
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🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 眼花耳热
- Pinyin: yǎn huā ěr rè
- Literal Translation: eyes blurry, ears hot
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4