古色古香
gǔ sè gǔ xiāng
with an antique flavour; quaint and full of old charm
Character by character
古gǔ
ancient
ancient
色sè
colour
colour
古gǔ
ancient
ancient
香xiāng
fragrance
fragrance
Example
这家茶馆的桌椅都是老式的，墙上挂着字画，显得古色古香。
The teahouse has old-style tables and chairs and scrolls on the walls; it is full of old-world charm.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Of buildings, rooms, furniture, towns and books: 古色古香的老街, 显得古色古香. It praises the look of age; for a person’s old-fashioned ideas use 守旧 or 老派 instead.
Learn this in Lesson 246 · HSK 9+: 西安的清真大寺 (The Great Mosque of Xi’an)
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