拍案叫绝 (pāi àn jiào jué) — to express great admiration or praise; to be extremely impressed

Definition

A vivid four-character idiom: literally ‘slap the table and shout bravo,’ used to praise something as brilliant or exceptional. Used only for genuine admiration, stronger than everyday 太好了 or 很好.

idiom
to express great admiration or praiseto be extremely impressed

Examples

  • ，拍案叫绝。
    Kàn dào zhè fú huà de chuàng yì, dà jiā wú bù pāi àn jiào jué.
    Seeing the creativity of this painting, everyone was deeply impressed.
  • ，拍案叫绝。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng jīng cǎi jí le, tīng zhòng men fēn fēn pāi àn jiào jué.
    His speech was so brilliant that the audience broke into applause and admiration.
  • 拍案叫绝，。
    Zhè ge jiě jué fāng àn ràng rén pāi àn jiào jué, zhēn shì tiān cái de xiǎng fǎ.
    This solution is truly admirable — it's a genius idea.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái拍pāi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拍 puts 手 (hand) beside 白, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 拍 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
安
安ān案àn
Same sound today

案 pairs 木, a wood/tree shape, with 安, which is used for its sound.

Open 案 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū叫jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

叫 shows a mouth 口 and a sound part 丩. The mouth fits the old sense of shouting.

Open 叫 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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