What does 点石成金 mean?

点石成金 (diǎn shí chéng jīn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have the Midas touch”.

How do you pronounce 点石成金?

点石成金 is pronounced diǎn shí chéng jīn in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 点石成金 literally mean?

Literally, 点石成金 means “Touch a stone and turn it into gold”. It is used to mean “to have the Midas touch”.

Where does 点石成金 come from?

点石成金 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 点石成金?

比喻修改文章时稍稍改动原来的文字，就使它变得很出色。

点石成金 — “To have the Midas touch”

点石成金 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have the Midas touch”. To add a brilliant touch that transforms something ordinary into something extraordinary, especially in writing or art. Literally, “Touch a stone and turn it into gold”.

Frequency

点石成金 Pronunciation and Pinyin

点diǎn
石shí
成chéng
金jīn

点石成金 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
点	diǎn	9	point, dot, or spot
石	shí	5	Rock, stone
成	chéng	7	to become or succeed
金	jīn	8	gold, metal, money

Example Sentence with 点石成金

他修改这篇稿子，果然有点石成金的本领，让文章焕然一新。

His revision of the manuscript indeed showed his Midas touch, making the article entirely new and brilliant.

Origin and Story of 点石成金

In the Jin Dynasty, in Jinyang County, there was a highly skilled Taoist magistrate named Xu Xun. He was able to cast spells and use talismans to exorcise ghosts and cure diseases for the people. The common folk regarded him as a celestial being, thus calling him "True Monarch Xu."

One year, due to a poor harvest, the farmers were unable to pay their taxes. Xu Xun instructed everyone to bring him stones. Then, he performed his magic, touching the stones with his finger, turning them all into gold. These gold pieces were used to cover the overdue taxes of the common people.

Idioms Related to 点石成金

Synonyms of 点石成金

diǎn点tiě铁chéng成jīn金turn something common into something special

Antonyms of 点石成金

diǎn点jīn金chéng成tiě铁spoil something excellent by trying to improve it

More idioms starting with 点

Questions about 点石成金

What does 点石成金 mean?: 点石成金 (diǎn shí chéng jīn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have the Midas touch”.
How do you pronounce 点石成金?: 点石成金 is pronounced diǎn shí chéng jīn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 点石成金 literally mean?: Literally, 点石成金 means “Touch a stone and turn it into gold”. It is used to mean “to have the Midas touch”.
Where does 点石成金 come from?: 点石成金 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 点石成金?: 比喻修改文章时稍稍改动原来的文字，就使它变得很出色。

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