招蜂引蝶 (zhāo fēng yǐn dié) — (chengyu) to be flirtatious and attract many admirers (often of a woman); to be a coquette

Definition

Literally 'to beckon bees and draw butterflies' — a chengyu for a woman who is openly flirtatious and attracts many male admirers. Carries a negative, judgemental tone, unlike a neutral word like 漂亮.

idiom
(chengyu) to be flirtatious and attract many admirers (often of a woman)to be a coquette

Examples

  • 招蜂引蝶，。
    Nà ge nǚ rén hěn xǐ huan zhāo fēng yǐn dié, zǒng shì dǎ bàn dé hěn piào liang.
    That woman enjoys being flirtatious and attracting admirers; she always dresses up very beautifully.
  • ，招蜂引蝶。
    Tā qī zi xìng gé wěn zhòng, cóng bù zhāo fēng yǐn dié.
    His wife has a steady temperament and never flirts or seeks attention.
  • ，招蜂引蝶。
    Zài gǔ dài xiǎo shuō lǐ, nà zhǒng zhāo fēng yǐn dié de nǚ zǐ wǎng wǎng xià chǎng bù hǎo.
    In classical novels, women who are flirtatious and attract many men often end up poorly.

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
召
召zhào招zhāo
Same sound today

招 pairs 扌, the hand part, with 召, which gives the sound, to show beckoning with the hand.

Open 招 →

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
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
夆
夆páng蜂fēng
Same sound today

蜂 puts 虫, showing an insect, beside 夆, which gives its sound.

Open 蜂 →

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 →

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
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
枼
枼yè蝶dié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

蝶 combines 虫, showing an insect-like creature, with 枼, which gives its sound.

Open 蝶 →

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