秀色可餐
xiù sè kě cān
so lovely you could feast on it: of food, a view or a face
Character by character
秀xiù
fine
fine
色sè
looks
looks
可kě
can
can
餐cān
eat
eat
Example
这盘菜红的红，绿的绿，真是秀色可餐，大家都舍不得动筷子。
All bright reds and greens, the dish looked almost too good to eat, and no one could bring themselves to touch it.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From the Western Jin poet 陆机 (261–303), 《日出东南隅行》: 秀色若可餐, of a woman’s beauty. Now said mostly of food or scenery; said of a woman it can sound leering.
Learn this in Lesson 218 · HSK 9+: 文人写吃 (Writers at the table)
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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