城北徐公 — “A strikingly handsome man”

城北徐公 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a strikingly handsome man”. A paragon of male beauty, often used to describe someone exceptionally good-looking. Literally, “Xu Gong from the north of the city”.

Frequency

城北徐公 Pronunciation and Pinyin

城北徐公 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
城	chéng	9	city or fortified wall
北	běi	5	north
徐	xú	10	slowly, gradually
公	gōng	4	public, common, impartial

Example Sentence with 城北徐公

那位新来的同事仪表堂堂，简直就是现代版的城北徐公。

The new colleague is distinguished and handsome, truly a modern-day Xu Gong from the north of the city.

Origin and Story of 城北徐公

During the Warring States period, Zou Ji, a minister of the State of Qi, was eight feet tall and possessed a beautiful appearance. He put on his finest clothes and asked his wife, 'Who is more handsome, myself or Xu Gong, the handsome man from the north of the city?'

Both his wife and concubine declared that he was the most handsome. The next day, he asked a guest visiting his home, and the guest also gave the same answer.

However, when Xu Gong from the north of the city arrived, Zou Ji looked in the mirror and immediately felt inferior, realizing he was not as handsome as Xu Gong.