CHENGYU
五彩缤纷(wǔ cǎi bīn fēn)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, approving
- Source:
- 峻青《地下水晶宫》
MEANING
- Literal
- five colors, mixed and fluttering
- Figurative meaning
- bright and colorful; a blaze of colors
ORIGIN STORY
The modern writer Jun Qing described an underground crystal palace whose walls glowed "in colors bright and interwoven, as if woven from rainbows". 缤纷 (bīnfēn) is the fluttering profusion of the display.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“a blaze of color”
EXAMPLES
节日的广场五彩缤纷，热闹极了。Jiérì de guǎngchǎng wǔ cǎi bīn fēn, rènao jí le.HSK6
The holiday square blazes with color — wonderfully lively.
烟花在夜空中绽放，五彩缤纷。Yānhuā zài yèkōng zhōng zhànfàng, wǔ cǎi bīn fēn.HSK6
Fireworks burst in the night sky in a blaze of colors.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is about vivid, shifting color — close to 五颜六色, but with more shimmering movement.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01