Bao Tự cười
Definition
- Proper Noun / Idiom:
- Bao Si's smile: Refers to a legendary, rare, and precious smile from Chinese history, specifically that of Bao Si, the concubine of King You of Zhou. The idiom signifies something of immense value and beauty that is exceedingly difficult to obtain or witness.
- A smile worth a thousand taels of gold: Describes a smile or a moment of joy that is considered priceless and worth a fortune.
Usage Examples
- Idiom:
- Nụ cười của cô ấy hiếm như Bao Tự cười. (Her smile is as rare as Bao Si's smile.)
- Để có được sự đồng ý của ông ấy khó hơn cả Bao Tự cười. (Getting his agreement is harder than making Bao Si smile.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in literary and poetic contexts to emphasize the extreme preciousness and rarity of something, typically a person's smile, favor, or agreement.
- Lời hứa của hắn ta, đúng là Bao Tự cười. (His promise is truly like Bao Si's smile—rare and unreliable.)
Variants and Related Words
- Nụ cười nghìn vàng (n): A smile worth a thousand gold pieces. A direct synonym derived from the same story.
- Chiến thắng ấy là nụ cười nghìn vàng. (That victory was a smile worth a thousand gold pieces.)
Synonyms
- Priceless smile: A smile of incalculable worth.
- Rare as hen's teeth: Extremely rare or uncommon (general idiom).
Related Idioms
- Mỹ nhân nhất tiếu hoán thiên kim: (A beauty's single smile is exchanged for a thousand gold pieces.) This is the classical Chinese poetic line by Li Bai that directly references the story of Bao Si.
- Vẻ đẹp ấy khiến người ta nhớ đến câu "mỹ nhân nhất tiếu hoán thiên kim". (That beauty makes one remember the line "a beauty's smile is worth a thousand gold.")