小巧玲珑 — “Small and exquisite”
小巧玲珑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “small and exquisite”. Dainty and delicate; petite and ingenious. Literally, “small and exquisite”.
小巧玲珑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 小xiǎo
- 巧qiǎo
- 玲líng
- 珑lóng
小巧玲珑 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 小巧玲珑
Origin and Story of 小巧玲珑
During the Song Dynasty, the renowned poet Xin Qiji was building a mountain path at his Calabash Spring Villa when he discovered a towering stone cliff. Impressed by its grandeur, he named it 'Cangbi' (Azure Cliff).
When word spread, many people came to visit, but upon seeing it, they mocked Xin Qiji, suggesting he was exaggerating its magnificence.
In response, Xin Qiji composed a ci poem in front of them, which included the lines: 'Do not laugh that my Azure Cliff seems small, its layered form aspires to touch the sky. Only its owner truly understands its spirit. I harbor the ambition to be as majestic as Mount Tai and Mount Hua, not merely to be 'small and exquisitely delicate'.
Idioms Related to 小巧玲珑
Synonyms of 小巧玲珑
More idioms starting with 小
- xiǎo小bù不rěn忍zé则luàn乱dà大móu谋Impatience in small things spoils great plans
- xiǎo小chǒu丑tiào跳liáng梁Insignificant villains stirring up mischief
- xiǎo小zhōng中jiàn见dà大see the big in the small
- xiǎo小rén人dé得zhì志petty person achieves success
- xiǎo小xìn信wèi未fú孚Small trust not yet convinced
- xiǎo小tōu偷xiǎo小mō摸to engage in petty theft
- xiǎo小ér儿pò破zéi贼youngster achieves great accomplishments
- xiǎo小guān冠zi子xià夏a person with poor eyesight
- xiǎo小shòu受dà大zǒu走endure minor punishment, flee severe beating
- xiǎo小qì器yì易yíng盈narrow-minded, easily conceited
- xiǎo小guó国guǎ寡mín民small country with few people
- xiǎo小dà大yóu由zhī之applicable to both large and small matters
Questions about 小巧玲珑
- What does 小巧玲珑 mean?
- 小巧玲珑 (xiǎo qiǎo líng lóng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “small and exquisite”.
- How do you pronounce 小巧玲珑?
- 小巧玲珑 is pronounced xiǎo qiǎo líng lóng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 小巧玲珑 literally mean?
- Literally, 小巧玲珑 means “small and exquisite”. It is used to mean “small and exquisite”.
- Where does 小巧玲珑 come from?
- 小巧玲珑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 小巧玲珑?
- 小巧：小而灵巧；玲珑：精巧细致。形容东西小而精致。