Chinese idiom · 成语
栩栩如生
Meaning
Vivid as if alive; lifelike artistry.
Character by character
Origin and story
Philosophical fableAt the end of the Zhuangzi's 'Discussion on Making All Things Equal,' Zhuang Zhou dreams that he is a butterfly, content and unaware of being Zhou. On waking, he wonders whether Zhou dreamed of the butterfly or the butterfly is dreaming of Zhou. The passage reflects on identity and transformation rather than describing an artist's achievement.
The word 栩栩 occurs there as 栩栩然, conveying the butterfly's lively ease. The complete idiom is a later formation; the dictionary records it in Qing fiction describing lifelike carvings and tiny figures. Its common meaning now concerns a representation so vivid that it seems alive.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
她用黏土捏的小猫栩栩如生，连耳朵的弧度都很自然。
The little clay cat she made looks alive, right down to the natural curve of its ears.
Lifelike portrayal in visual art or writing; the object need not actually be alive.