每天成语
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弥足珍贵

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: mí zú zhēn guì
  • English Translation: Extremely precious (irreplaceable)
  • Idiom Composition: 「弥」（Increasingly; all the more）＋「足」（Sufficiently; enough to be）＋「珍」（Rare; precious）＋「贵」（Valuable; noble）
  • Meaning: A formal expression describing something that is exceptionally valuable and irreplaceable. It emphasizes that the value is not just monetary, but often spiritual, emotional, or historical, and is heightened by its rarity.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「弥足珍贵」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Intensifying Effect of 弥 (mí): The character 弥 (mí) means "increasingly" or "even more," which intensifies the following 珍贵 (zhēn guì - precious). It implies that the value is not just high, but exceptionally so because of the context.
  • Spiritual and Emotional Value: Beyond monetary price, it is often used for intangible things like memories, friendship, peace (和平 - hé píng), or opportunities.
  • Rarity and Irreplaceability: It suggests that because something is rare or easily lost, its value is significantly heightened.

3. Usage

「弥足珍贵」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Abstract Concepts: Used to emphasize the value of intangible but vital aspects of life, such as time, friendship, peace, or experience.
    • Example:「在战乱年代，和平显得弥足珍贵。」
      （In times of war, peace appears extremely precious.)
  • Souvenirs and Cultural Heritage: Suitable for describing historical relics or personal items filled with memories that cannot be replaced.
    • Example:「这张老照片记录了爷爷奶奶年轻时的样子，对我们全家来说弥足珍贵。」
      （This old photo records my grandparents in their youth and is irreplaceable to our whole family.)
  • Rarity of Opportunity or Time: Used in contexts where limited time or a rare chance should be cherished.
    • Example:「对于即将毕业的学生来说，在校的每一天都弥足珍贵。」
      （For students about to graduate, every single day at school is all the more precious.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 这段经历虽然艰辛，但对我来说是一笔弥足珍贵的财富。
    （Although this experience was difficult, it is an extremely precious asset to me.）
  2. 在这个浮躁的社会里，真诚显得弥足珍贵。
    （In this impetuous society, sincerity seems all the more precious.）
  3. 这是一份弥足珍贵的礼物，我会永远保存。
    （This is an irreplaceable gift that I will keep forever.）
  4. 随着年龄的增长，童年的记忆变得更加弥足珍贵。
    （As one grows older, childhood memories become even more precious.）
  5. 这种濒危动物的数量极其稀少，每一只都弥足珍贵。
    （The population of this endangered species is extremely small, making every single individual extremely valuable.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Literary Tone: Because it uses the character 弥 (mí), which has a classical flavor, this idiom sounds more formal and elegant than common terms like 很贵 (hěn guì - very expensive) or 宝贵 (bǎo guì - valuable). It is often used in speeches, literature, or emotional tributes.
  • Contextual Enhancement: It is frequently paired with verbs like 显得 (xiǎn de - to appear) or 更加 (gèng jiā - even more) to highlight how a specific situation makes something stand out as exceptionally precious.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

弥足珍贵 (mí zú zhēn guì) is an elegant idiom used to describe things that are "all the more precious." The character 弥 (mí) acts as an intensifier, suggesting that the value of the object or concept is even greater than usual due to specific circumstances, such as the passage of time or extreme rarity. It is commonly used to describe intangible treasures like friendship, peace, memories, or fleeting opportunities.

Idiom Essay

mí zú zhēn guì
弥足珍贵
Extremely Precious
wǒ men我们dōu都zhī dào知道shén me什么jiào叫“zhēn guì珍贵”。

We all know what "precious" means.

yī kuài一块huáng jīn黄金，yī kē一颗zuàn shí钻石，huò zhě或者yī jiàn一件áng guì昂贵de的yì shù pǐn艺术品，wǒ men我们dōu都huì会shuō说tā men它们hěn很zhēn guì珍贵。

A piece of gold, a diamond, or an expensive work of art—we would say they are all very precious.

dàn shì但是，zhōng wén中文lǐ里hái yǒu还有yí gè一个gēng shēn更深yì diǎn一点de的cí词，jiào叫“mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵”。

However, in Chinese, there is a deeper term called 弥足珍贵.

zhè ge这个cí词tīng qǐ lái听起来jiù就hěn很yǒu有fèn liàng分量。

This phrase sounds very weighty.

“mí弥”hé和“zú足”，zài在zhè lǐ这里dōu都shì是“fēi cháng非常”、“gèng jiā更加”、“chōng mǎn充满”de的yì si意思。

弥 and 足 here both mean "extremely," "even more," or "full of."

hé合qǐ lái起来，tā它xíng róng形容de的shì是yī zhǒng一种“bǐ比zhēn guì珍贵hái还yào要zhēn guì珍贵”de的zhuàng tài状态。

Combined, it describes a state of being "even more precious than precious."

gèng更yǒu yì si有意思de的shì是，wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常bú huì不会yòng用“mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵”lái来xíng róng形容nà xiē那些jǐn jǐn仅仅shì是“jià gé价格hěn很gāo高”de的dōng xī东西。

What is more interesting is that we usually do not use 弥足珍贵 to describe things that are merely high-priced.

rú guǒ如果yī liàng一辆chē车mài卖hěn很guì贵，wǒ men我们huì会shuō说tā它“jià zhí lián chéng价值连城”，dàn但hěn很shǎo少shuō说tā它“mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵”。

If a car is very expensive, we might say it is 价值连城, but we rarely say it is 弥足珍贵.

yīn wèi因为“mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵”zhè ge这个cí词，wǎng wǎng往往hé和“xī shǎo稀少”huò zhě或者“shī qù失去”yǒu guān有关。

This is because the term 弥足珍贵 is often related to rarity or loss.

tā它qiáng diào强调de的shì是：yīn wèi因为hěn很nán难dé dào得到，huò zhě或者yīn wèi因为bù kě不可tì dài替代，suǒ yǐ所以cái才xiǎn de显得gé wài格外bǎo guì宝贵。

It emphasizes that because something is hard to obtain or irreplaceable, it becomes exceptionally valuable.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下：zài在píng shí平时，yī bēi一杯shuǐ水kě néng可能bìng并bù qǐ yǎn不起眼。

Imagine: normally, a glass of water might not be noticeable.

dàn shì但是，rú guǒ如果nǐ你gāng刚pǎo跑wán完yī cháng一场mǎ lā sōng马拉松，huò zhě或者zài在yí gè一个yán rè炎热de的shā mò沙漠lǐ里，nà那yī bēi一杯shuǐ水，jiù shì就是mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵de的。

But if you have just finished a marathon or are in a hot desert, that glass of water is 弥足珍贵.

zài再bǐ rú比如：zài在máng lù忙碌de的chéng nián rén成年人shì jiè世界lǐ里，néng gòu能够hé和lǎo péng yǒu老朋友zuò xià lái坐下来，bù不kàn看shǒu jī手机，ān ān jìng jìng安安静静liáo聊yī一xià wǔ下午tiān天。

Another example: in the busy world of adults, being able to sit down with an old friend and chat quietly for an afternoon without looking at a phone.

zhè zhǒng这种méi yǒu没有rèn hé任何mù dì目的de的shí jiān时间，yě也shì是mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵de的。

This kind of time without any specific purpose is also 弥足珍贵.

hái yǒu还有xìn rèn信任。

There is also trust.

zài在zhè ge这个fù zá复杂de的shì jiè世界shàng上，rú guǒ如果yǒu有yí gè rén一个人，yuàn yì愿意wú tiáo jiàn无条件dì地xiāng xìn相信nǐ你，zhè zhǒng这种xìn rèn信任，gèng shì更是mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵。

In this complex world, if there is someone willing to trust you unconditionally, this kind of trust is even more 弥足珍贵.

suǒ yǐ所以，zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语qí shí其实shì是zài在gào sù告诉wǒ men我们yī zhǒng一种guān yú关于“jià zhí价值”de的pàn duàn判断：zhēn zhèng真正de的jià zhí价值，wǎng wǎng往往bú shì不是biāo标zài在jià qiān价签shàng上de的shù zì数字。

So, this idiom is actually telling us something about the judgment of "value": true value is often not the number on a price tag.

ér shì而是dāng当mǒu yàng某样dōng xī东西biàn dé变得xī yǒu稀有，huò zhě或者shèn zhì甚至kuài yào快要xiāo shī消失de的shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们cái才tū rán突然yì shí dào意识到de的nà zhǒng那种fèn liàng分量。

It is the weight we suddenly realize when something becomes rare or is even about to disappear.

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你jué de觉得mǒu某duàn段jīng lì经历、mǒu某fèn份gǎn qíng感情，huò zhě或者mǒu某gè个shùn jiān瞬间，shì是yòng用duō shǎo多少qián钱dōu都huàn换bù不lái来de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以shuō说：zhè这duì wǒ lái shuō对我来说，shì是mí zú zhēn guì弥足珍贵de的。

Next time, when you feel that a certain experience, emotion, or moment cannot be replaced by any amount of money, you can say: To me, this is 弥足珍贵.

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