CHENGYU
五光十色(wǔ guāng shí sè)meaning, story and origin
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- neutral, approving
- Source:
- 南朝梁·江淹《丽色赋》
MEANING
- Literal
- five lights and ten colors
- Figurative meaning
- dazzling and colorful; a glittering display
ORIGIN STORY
In his "Rhapsody on Beauty", the Liang dynasty poet Jiang Yan wrote of "five lights hovering, ten colors shimmering" — the flicker of a thousand surfaces catching light.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“a dazzling array”
EXAMPLES
夜晚的外滩五光十色，非常美丽。Yèwǎn de Wàitān wǔ guāng shí sè, fēicháng měilì.HSK6
The Bund at night is a glittering blaze of lights — beautiful indeed.
商店里的商品五光十色，让人眼花缭乱。Shāngdiàn li de shāngpǐn wǔ guāng shí sè, ràng rén yǎnhuāliáoluàn.HSK6
The goods in the shop glitter in ten colors, dazzling the eye.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is about glittering, varied color and light — not about being wealthy or luxurious.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01