传神写照 — “To portray with lifelike accuracy”
传神写照 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to portray with lifelike accuracy”. To capture the true spirit or essence (in art or writing). Literally, “vivid portrayal”.
传神写照 Pronunciation and Pinyin
传神写照 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 传神写照
Origin and Story of 传神写照
During the Jin Dynasty, Gu Changkang was renowned for his portraits. He would sometimes leave a painting without eyes for several years.
When questioned about this, Gu Changkang explained, "The beauty or ugliness of the limbs and body is not truly related to the spirit. To make a portrait truly come alive and capture the essence, the eyes are the crucial element."
Idioms Related to 传神写照
Synonyms of 传神写照
More idioms starting with 传
- chuán传sān三guò过sì四spread rumors and gossip
- chuán传wéi为jiā佳huà话become a celebrated tale
- chuán传wéi为xiào笑bǐng柄become a laughingstock
- chuán传wéi为xiào笑tán谈become a laughingstock
- chuán传wéi为měi美tán谈become a popular admirable story
- chuán传zhī之bù不xiǔ朽achieve everlasting fame
- chuán传guī圭xí袭zǔ组Achieve fame and high office
- chuán传zōng宗jiē接dài代continue the family line
- chuán传bēi杯nòng弄jiǎ斝pass wine cups and make merry
- chuán传bēi杯nòng弄zhǎn盏drink together at a banquet
- chuán传bēi杯huàn换zhǎn盏drink together at a banquet
- chuán传bēi杯sòng送zhǎn盏drink merrily together
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Open the tool →Questions about 传神写照
What does 传神写照 mean?
传神写照 (chuán shén xiě zhào) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to portray with lifelike accuracy”.
How do you pronounce 传神写照?
传神写照 is pronounced chuán shén xiě zhào in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 传神写照 literally mean?
Literally, 传神写照 means “vivid portrayal”. It is used to mean “to portray with lifelike accuracy”.
Where does 传神写照 come from?
传神写照 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 传神写照?
传神：指优美文学艺术作品描绘的人物生动逼真；写照：画像。形容用图画或文字描写人物，能生动逼真地描画出来