Chinese word

眉开眼笑

Pronunciation

Pinyinméi kāi yǎn xiào

Meaning

idiombe all smiles

Example

听到孩子回来了，他眉开眼笑。tīng dào hái zi huí lái le tā méi kāi yǎn xiào

When he heard that the child had returned, he was all smiles.

More examples

孩子的玩笑把她逗得眉开眼笑。hái zi de wán xiào bǎ tā dòu de méi kāi yǎn xiào

The child's joke made her beam.

Core concept

Visible delight opens the face: the brows relax, the eyes brighten, and a broad smile appears.

Common phrases

把人逗得眉开眼笑bǎ rén dòu de méi kāi yǎn xiào
make someone beam
被逗得眉开眼笑bèi dòu de méi kāi yǎn xiào
be teased into beaming

Similar words

笑容可掬xiào róng kě jū: A warm, overflowing smile that makes a person seem friendly and easy to approach.
满面春风mǎn miàn chūn fēng: A calm, pleased expression that fills the face with a gentle smile.
笑逐颜开xiào zhú yán kāi: A smile spreading across the face and bringing a lively, joyful look.
笑容满面xiào róng mǎn miàn: A face covered by a broad, happy smile.

Definition in Chinese

表示面带笑容，眉目舒展，整张脸显出高兴的神态。biǎo shì miàn dài xiào róng méi mù shū zhǎn zhěng zhāng liǎn xiǎn chū gāo xìng de shén tài

Word origin

The four parts of 眉开眼笑 (méikāiyǎnxiào, "eyebrows open, eyes smile") name facial features and their cheerful changes, creating a vivid image of delight.

Usage tips

English often describes a happy person with a smile alone, while Chinese can use this idiom to highlight the whole facial expression.

Other meanings

grin happilyidiom