Definition
销魂 is a highly literary and poetic expression describing an overwhelming emotional experience that can be either ecstatic joy or profound sorrow. It literally means 'to dissolve the soul' and is often used in classical poetry and romantic contexts to convey that a feeling is so intense it consumes one entirely. In modern usage it appears in set phrases like 令人销魂 (lìng rén xiāo hún) 'to drive someone crazy with emotion'.
a
ecstasyraptureoverwhelming joyoverwhelming sorrowsoul-crushing grief
Examples
- 销魂。Nà shǒu gē de xuánlǜ zhēn shì lìng rén xiāo hún.The melody of that song is truly soul-stirring.
- ，销魂。Líbié shí de tòngchǔ, jīhū ràng tā xiāo hún.The pain of parting almost shattered his soul.
- ，销魂。Nà zhǒng měi de gǎnshòu, zú yǐ xiāo hún.That kind of aesthetic feeling is enough to send one into ecstasy.
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