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引人入胜 (yǐn rén rù shèng) — fascinating; enchanting; captivating; absorbing

Definition

A chengyu for content that 'pulls people in' — stories, scenery, performances. Stronger and more literary than 有趣, focused on immersive absorption (often of a narrative) rather than charm like 迷人.

phrase
fascinatingenchantingcaptivatingabsorbing

Examples

  • 引人入胜，。
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō de qíng jié yǐn rén rù shèng, ràng rén yì dú jiù fàng bú xià.
    The plot of this novel is so captivating that once you start reading, you can't put it down.
  • 引人入胜，。
    Guì lín de shān shuǐ yǐn rén rù shèng, měi nián xī yǐn wú shù yóu kè.
    Guilin's landscapes are enchanting, attracting countless tourists every year.
  • ，引人入胜。
    Zhè chǎng yǎn chū jīng cǎi jué lún, zhēn kě wèi yǐn rén rù shèng.
    This performance was absolutely brilliant — truly captivating.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

  • 弓弓gōngbow
  • 丿丿piěindicatory stroke

引 is made from 弓, a bow, and 丿, a short slant stroke added at the place where the string is pulled, marking the action of drawing or pulling.

Open 引 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

入 is drawn as an arrowhead, indicating 'to enter'.

Open 入 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng胜shèng
Same sound today

The simplified 胜 changes the traditional 勝 by replacing part of its sound side with 生; the left 肉 relates to meat.

Open 胜 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set Phrases

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