锦上添花

jǐn shàng tiān huā

to make what is good still better

Character by character

锦jǐn
brocade

上shàng
on

添tiān
add

花huā
flowers

这次获奖对他来说是锦上添花。

Winning this award is the icing on the cake for him.

Tone: positive (praise).

From a Wang Anshi poem (丽唱仍添锦上花); contrast 雪中送炭, help when it is truly needed.

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