📖 Meaning
One's voice and face seem to still be present before one's eyes. The idiom describes the deep longing and remembrance felt for a deceased person, as though they were still alive and nearby. It is synonymous with 音容宛在.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in 《何典》, a Qing dynasty satirical vernacular novel traditionally attributed to Zhang Nanzhuang, with commentary by the scholar Liu Fanyun. In Chapter 8, the text reads: '真堪爱，如花似玉风流态。风流态，眠思梦想，音容如在。' The lines depict a lovesick narrator who dreams of a beloved figure night and day, whose voice and features linger as if still present. Though the original context is romantic, the idiom came to be used chiefly for mourning the dead and cherishing memories of the departed.
💡 Example Usage
父亲虽已离世多年，但音容如在，儿女们至今仍常常忆起。
Though Father has been gone for many years, his voice and face still seem present, and his children often recall him to this day.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 音容如在
- Pinyin: yīn róng rú zài
- Literal Translation: sound, appearance, as if, present
- Category: Emotion
- Characters: 4