神采飞扬 (shén cǎi fēi yáng) — to be radiant with joy, beaming with happiness in one's expression

Definition

An idiom describing a person's face and eyes shining with energy and high spirits — joy, excitement, or confidence visible in their expression.

idiom
to be radiant with joy, beaming with happiness in one's expression

Examples

  • ，神采飞扬，。
    Tā tīng dào zhè ge hǎo xiāo xi hòu, shén cǎi fēi yáng, gāo xìng dé bù dé liǎo.
    After hearing this good news, he was radiant with joy, extremely happy.
  • ，神采飞扬。
    Bǐ sài huò shèng hòu, duì yuán men gè gè shén cǎi fēi yáng.
    After winning the match, the team members were beaming with joy.
  • ，神采飞扬，。
    Tā zhàn zài lǐng jiǎng tái shàng, shén cǎi fēi yáng, liǎn shàng yáng yì zhe zì háo de xiào róng.
    She stood on the podium, radiant with joy, a proud smile beaming on her face.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

神采spirit and expression
神shénspirit采cǎiexpression/luster
联合Side by side
飞扬fly and rise
飞fēifly扬yángrise
联合Side by side

神采 (spirit and expression) + 飞扬 (fly and rise) = expression seems to fly upward, i.e. radiant joy.

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
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 採; 采 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 采 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (采访, 采购) it is 採; in others it is 采.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi採cǎi
Same sound today

The traditional form 採 combines 扌 (hand) with 采, which gives the sound and means to pick.

Open 采 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 飛; 飞 is its simplified writing.

For 飞, the traditional form 飛 pictures a bird flying upwards.

Open 飞 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 揚; 扬 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng揚
Same sound today

The traditional form 揚 uses 手 to show a hand-related action and 昜 to give the sound; the simplified 扬 is a later abbreviation.

Open 扬 →

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