fragrant herbs; symbol of noble virtue
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesnoun
iris and orchid; metaphor for noble character, virtuous friendship, or refined environment
literaryLiterary term derived from the literal meaning of two fragrant plants (iris and orchid), used metaphorically in classical Chinese to represent moral excellence and refinement. Frequently appears in the idiom 芝兰之室.
Jiǔ久
rù入
zhī芝
lán兰
zhī之
shì室
，
bù不
wén闻
qí其
xiāng香
。
If you stay long in a room filled with orchids, you no longer smell the fragrance.
Tā他
de的
pǐn品
dé德
rú如
zhī芝
lán兰
bān般
gāo高
jié洁
。
His moral character is as noble and pure as orchids.
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Shēng生
yú于
zhī芝
lán兰
zhī之
shì室
，
zì自
rán然
ěr耳
rú濡
mù目
rǎn染
。
Born into a refined environment, one naturally absorbs good influences.