活灵活现
huó líng huó xiàn
vivid; lifelike; as if alive
Character by character
活huó
alive
alive
灵líng
spirited
spirited
活huó
alive
alive
现xiàn
appear
appear
Example
他把那天的事讲得活灵活现，大家都好像亲眼看见了一样。
He told the story of that day so vividly that everyone felt they had seen it with their own eyes.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Of images and carvings, and above all of storytelling and imitation: 讲得活灵活现, 学得活灵活现. More everyday than 惟妙惟肖 (lesson 4-19), which praises a likeness.
Learn this in Lesson 237 · HSK 9+: 苏绣 (Suzhou embroidery)
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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