诗情画意 (shī qíng huà yì) — idyllic, picturesque, poetic (of scenery or atmosphere)

Definition

A chengyu used to praise scenery, art, or atmospheres as having the lyric feeling of poetry and the pictorial charm of a painting. Typically appears as 充满/很有/真是 + 诗情画意.

idiom
idyllicpicturesquepoetic (of scenery or atmosphere)

Examples

  • 诗情画意。
    Zhè ge xiǎo zhèn chōng mǎn le shī qíng huà yì.
    This small town is full of idyllic charm.
  • 诗情画意。
    Qiū tiān de xī hú zhēn shì shī qíng huà yì.
    West Lake in autumn is truly picturesque.
  • 诗情画意。
    Tā huà zhōng de shān shuǐ hěn yǒu shī qíng huà yì.
    The mountains and rivers in his paintings have a poetic quality.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

诗情poetic feeling
诗shīpoem情qíngfeeling
偏正Modifier + head
画意painting charm
画huàpainting意yìmood
偏正Modifier + head

诗情 is poetic feeling and 画意 is painting-like charm, so together they describe a scene full of artistic mood.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 詩; 诗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì詩shī
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 詩 combines 言 (speech) with 寺 as a sound part, because poetry is a kind of speech; the simplified 诗 is a later abbreviation.

Open 诗 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

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 畫; 画 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùbrush
Sound part声符shēngfú
規
規guī畫huà
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 畫 pairs 聿, a brush, with 規 for its sound. The simplified 画 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the old parts.

Open 画 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 意 →

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