Chinese idiom · 成语
寻花问柳
Meaning
Originally, enjoy spring flowers and willows; later, visit prostitutes or pursue sexual entertainment.
Character by character
Origin and story
Poetic image and semantic changeDu Fu's poem about a visit from Yan Wu uses the reversed wording 问柳寻花. A high-ranking friend comes out into the countryside to visit the poet, amid flowers and willows. In that setting the words describe enjoying spring scenery; they do not accuse the visitor of seeking sexual entertainment.
The familiar order appears in later verse and novels. As flowers and willows also became associated with courtesans and pleasure districts, the expression acquired a sexual sense: visiting prostitutes or pursuing amorous entertainment. The older scenic meaning survives, but in ordinary modern conversation the later implication can easily dominate.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
这篇影评说男主角整天寻花问柳，却把照顾家庭的责任推给妻子。
The review says the male lead spends his days seeking sexual entertainment while leaving family responsibilities to his wife.
Usually implies visiting prostitutes or pursuing sexual pleasures; the old spring-outing sense needs clear context.