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脍炙人口
脍炙人口
脍炙人口
脍炙人口
脍炙人口
脍炙人口
脍炙人口

脍炙人口 — “Widely acclaimed and highly popular”

脍炙人口 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Widely acclaimed and highly popular”. Especially referring to literary works, art, or ideas that are appreciated and praised by many. Literally, “finely minced and roasted meat”.

Frequency

脍炙人口 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 脍kuài
  • 炙zhì
  • 人rén
  • 口kǒu

脍炙人口 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
脍
kuài10popular and widely acclaimed
炙
zhì8roast, popular, or influenced
人
rén2human being, person
口
kǒu3mouth, opening, entrance

Example Sentence with 脍炙人口

这部小说情节引人入胜,语言优美,出版后迅速成为一部脍炙人口的佳作。
This novel, with its captivating plot and beautiful language, quickly became a widely acclaimed masterpiece after its publication.

Origin and Story of 脍炙人口

This idiom originates from "Mencius: Jinxin Xia." During the Spring and Autumn period, there was a father and son, both disciples of Confucius. The father, Zeng Zhe, had a particular fondness for sheep dates (a type of wild fruit, commonly known as 'milk persimmons').

After his father's death, his son, Zeng Can, out of filial piety, couldn't bear to eat sheep dates. This act was widely praised and circulated among Confucian disciples at the time.

During the Warring States period, Mencius's disciple Gongsun Chou was puzzled by this and sought clarification from his teacher, Mencius. Gongsun Chou asked, "Teacher, which is tastier, finely minced and roasted meat (kuàizhì) or sheep dates?" Mencius replied, "Kuàizhì, of course! There's no one who doesn't love kuàizhì!"

Gongsun Chou then asked, "If kuàizhì is so delicious, then Zeng Can and his father must have also loved it. Why then did Zeng Can abstain from sheep dates but not kuàizhì?"

Mencius explained, "Kuàizhì is something universally enjoyed. Although sheep dates are not as delicious as kuàizhì, they were something Zeng Zhe particularly loved. Therefore, Zeng Can only abstained from sheep dates. It's like how one avoids using the given name of an elder but not their surname; surnames are common to many, while a given name is unique to an individual." Mencius's words clarified the matter for Gongsun Chou.

This idiom is now used to describe things, especially literary works or poems, that are widely acclaimed and admired by many people.

Idioms Related to 脍炙人口

Synonyms of 脍炙人口

  • jiāo交kǒu口chēng称yù誉universally acclaimed
  • xǐ喜wén闻lè乐jiàn见popular and well-received
  • ài爱bù不shì释shǒu手love something too much to part with it

Questions about 脍炙人口

What does 脍炙人口 mean?
脍炙人口 (kuài zhì rén kǒu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Widely acclaimed and highly popular”.
How do you pronounce 脍炙人口?
脍炙人口 is pronounced kuài zhì rén kǒu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 脍炙人口 literally mean?
Literally, 脍炙人口 means “finely minced and roasted meat”. It is used to mean “Widely acclaimed and highly popular”.
Where does 脍炙人口 come from?
脍炙人口 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 脍炙人口?
脍:切细的肉;炙:烤熟的肉。脍和炙都是人们爱吃的食物。指美味人人爱吃。比喻好的诗文受到人们和称赞和传讼。
Copy the pinyin for 脍炙人口 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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