荡气回肠
dàng qì huí cháng
soul-stirring; deeply moving (of music, poetry or a story)
Character by character
荡dàng
stir
stir
气qì
breath
breath
回huí
turn
turn
肠cháng
insides
insides
Example
这首老歌讲的是战士保卫家园的故事，旋律荡气回肠，听一次就忘不了。
This old song tells of soldiers defending their homeland; its melody is so stirring that you never forget it after one hearing.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Also written 回肠荡气: music or words so moving that they stir your breath and twist your insides. Said of songs, poems, films and love stories, often with 的: 一段荡气回肠的爱情. Stronger and more literary than 感人.
Learn this in Lesson 240 · HSK 9+: 昆曲《牡丹亭》 (Kunqu and The Peony Pavilion)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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