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出水芙蓉

Mandarin · pinyin chū shuǐ fú róng

as a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom); surpassingly beautiful (of young lady's face or old gentleman's calligraphy)

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Characters in this entry

出: chū · go out, send out; stand; produce
水: shuǐ · water, liquid, lotion, juice
芙: fú · hibiscus
蓉: róng · hibiscus; Chengdu, Sichuan

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Mandarin tones

1–3–2–2 · chu1 shui3 fu2 rong2

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 4 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(literally) lotus flower which just sprung into blossom above the water
(figurative) refreshingly and elegantly composed piece of literary work (poem, article, etc.), art or calligraphy
(figurative) naturally beautiful woman; natural beauty
(figurative) beautiful woman who emerges from, or half-submerged in a pool of water

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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