每天成语
background texture
< 花言巧语事半功倍 >

物美价廉

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: wù měi jià lián
  • English Translation: High quality at a low price (Good value for money)
  • Idiom Composition: 「物」（Goods, products, or things.）＋「美」（Excellent or high quality (literally 'beautiful').）＋「价」（Price or cost.）＋「廉」（Inexpensive, cheap, or low-priced.）
  • Meaning: A phrase used to describe goods that are of excellent quality while remaining inexpensive or reasonably priced.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「物美价廉」 contains the following nuances:

  • The Ideal Consumer Choice: This idiom highlights the two most desirable traits for any buyer: high quality and a low price point, emphasizing that the consumer is getting a great deal.
  • Everyday Praise: It is not reserved for luxury items; it is most commonly used for everyday goods like food, clothing, and household items to describe them as 'a steal' or 'a bargain.'

3. Usage

「物美价廉」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Shopping and Recommendations: Used as a standard phrase when recommending a store or product to others, or expressing satisfaction with a purchase.
    • Example:「这家超市的蔬菜不仅新鲜，而且物美价廉。」
      （The vegetables at this supermarket are not only fresh but also high quality and inexpensive.)
  • Business and Marketing: Used in corporate slogans or sales strategies to emphasize a product's competitiveness in the market.
    • Example:「我们公司的宗旨是为客户提供物美价廉的产品。」
      （Our company's mission is to provide customers with products that are excellent in quality and reasonably priced.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 大家都喜欢去那个夜市，因为那里的小吃物美价廉。
    （Everyone loves going to that night market because the snacks there are good and cheap.）
  2. 想在市中心找到物美价廉的房子可不容易。
    （It is not easy to find an apartment in the city center that is both high quality and affordable.）
  3. 网购虽然方便，但也要仔细挑选才能买到物美价廉的东西。
    （Although online shopping is convenient, you still need to choose carefully to find great value for your money.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The term appears in the writings of the Qing Dynasty (清朝) thinker Zheng Guanying (郑观应) in his work 'Words of Warning in a Prosperous Age' (盛世危言). He was a proponent of modernization and argued that if domestic Chinese goods were 物美价廉 (wù měi jià lián), they could successfully compete with foreign imports.
  • The word order can be swapped to 价廉物美 (jià lián wù měi) without any change in meaning. Speakers often choose between the two based on the rhythm or flow of the sentence.
  • In modern Chinese, the term 性价比高 (xìng jià bǐ gāo), meaning 'high cost-performance ratio' or 'good bang for the buck,' is also very popular. However, 物美价廉 (wù měi jià lián) remains the more traditional and idiomatic way to praise the balance of quality and price.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

  • Similar Idioms:
    • 物超所值 (wù chāo suǒ zhí): The value of the item exceeds the price paid; worth more than it costs.
    • 价廉物美 (jià lián wù měi): A direct synonym of 物美价廉 (wù měi jià lián) with the characters for 'price' and 'goods' reversed.
  • Opposite Idioms:

6. Summary

物美价廉 (wù měi jià lián) is a frequently used idiom in both daily life and business contexts to describe products that offer great value. It literally means 'the goods are beautiful and the price is low,' making it the go-to expression for a 'good bargain' or 'high quality for a low price.' It can also be expressed as 价廉物美 (jià lián wù měi).

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 2

Idiom Essay

wù měi jià lián
物美价廉
High Quality at a Low Price
wǒ men我们zài在mǎi dōng xī买东西de的shí hòu时候，xīn lǐ心里tōng cháng通常dōu都zài在zuò做yí gè一个hěn很nán难de的píng héng平衡。

When we buy things, we are usually trying to strike a difficult balance in our minds.

yì fāng miàn一方面，wǒ men我们xī wàng希望dōng xī东西de的zhì liàng质量yào要hǎo好；lìng yì fāng miàn另一方面，wǒ men我们yòu又xī wàng希望jià gé价格bú yào不要tài太gāo高。

On one hand, we want the quality to be good; on the other hand, we want the price not to be too high.

dàn但zài在xiàn shí现实shēng huó生活zhōng中，zhè这liǎng diǎn两点wǎng wǎng往往hěn很nán难tóng shí同时mǎn zú满足。

But in real life, these two points are often difficult to satisfy at the same time.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来miáo shù描述zhè zhǒng这种zuì最lǐ xiǎng理想de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“wù měi jià lián物美价廉”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom specifically used to describe this ideal state, called 物美价廉.

zhè ge这个cí词fēi cháng非常zhí bái直白，shèn zhì甚至bù不xū yào需要chá查zì diǎn字典jiù就néng能míng bái明白。

This term is very straightforward; you can understand it without even looking in a dictionary.

“wù měi物美”，zhǐ指de的shì是wù pǐn物品de的zhì liàng质量hěn很hǎo好，ràng让rén人mǎn yì满意；“jià lián价廉”，yì si意思shì是jià gé价格dī lián低廉，dà jiā大家dōu都mǎi买dé得qǐ起。

物美 refers to the quality of the item being very good and satisfying; 价廉 means the price is low and affordable for everyone.

hé qǐ lái合起来，jiù shì shuō就是说yī yàng一样dōng xī东西jì既hǎo yòng好用，yòu又pián yi便宜。

Put together, it means something is both useful and cheap.

suī rán虽然yì si意思jiǎn dān简单，dàn但zhè ge这个cí词zài在shēng huó生活zhōng中de的fèn liàng分量hěn很zhòng重。

Although the meaning is simple, this term carries a lot of weight in daily life.

wèi shén me为什么ne呢？

Why?

yīn wèi因为wǒ men我们cháng常shuō说“yī fēn qián yī fēn huò一分钱一分货”，guì贵de的tōng cháng通常cái才hǎo好。

Because we often say "you get what you pay for," and usually only expensive things are good.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当nǐ你zhēn de真的yù dào遇到“wù měi jià lián物美价廉”de的qíng kuàng情况shí时，nà那bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是yī cì一次jiāo yì交易，gèng更xiàng像shì是yī zhǒng一种jīng xǐ惊喜。

So, when you truly encounter a situation that is 物美价廉, it is not just a transaction, but more like a pleasant surprise.

xiǎng xiàng想象yī xià一下，nǐ你zài在jiē jiǎo街角fā xiàn发现le了yī jiā一家bù qǐ yǎn不起眼de的xiǎo小cān guǎn餐馆。

Imagine you find an inconspicuous little restaurant on a street corner.

zhuāng xiū装修hěn很jiǎn dān简单，cài dān菜单shàng上de的jià gé价格yě也hěn很pián yi便宜。

The decor is simple, and the prices on the menu are very cheap.

nǐ你běn lái本来méi没bào抱tài太dà大xī wàng希望，jié guǒ结果duān端shàng lái上来de的cài菜wèi dào味道jí hǎo极好，shí cái食材yě也hěn很xīn xiān新鲜。

You didn't have high hopes, but the food served tastes excellent and the ingredients are very fresh.

jié zhàng结账de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你fā xiàn发现huā花de的qián钱bǐ比qù去dà大cān tīng餐厅shǎo少le了yí bàn一半。

When you pay the bill, you find you spent half as much as you would at a large restaurant.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǐ你xīn lǐ心里nà zhǒng那种“zhuàn dào赚到le了”de的kuài lè快乐，jiù shì就是“wù měi jià lián物美价廉”dài gěi带给nǐ你de的gǎn jué感觉。

At that moment, the "I got a bargain" happiness in your heart is the feeling that 物美价廉 brings to you.

zhí de值得zhù yì注意de的shì是，zài在zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语lǐ里，“wù měi物美”shì是fàng放zài在“jià lián价廉”qián miàn前面de的。

It is worth noting that in this idiom, 物美 is placed before 价廉.

zhè这qí shí其实àn shì暗示le了yí gè一个hěn很zhòng yào重要de的luó jí逻辑：zhì liàng质量hǎo好shì是qián tí前提。

This actually implies an important logic: good quality is the prerequisite.

rú guǒ如果yī yàng一样dōng xī东西jǐn jǐn仅仅shì是pián yi便宜，dàn但bù hǎo yòng不好用，huò zhě或者hěn很róng yì容易huài坏，wǒ men我们zhǐ只huì会shuō说tā它“pián yi便宜”，jué bù绝不huì会shuō说tā它“wù měi jià lián物美价廉”。

If something is just cheap but not useful or breaks easily, we would only say it is "cheap," never 物美价廉.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当wǒ men我们kuā夸yī jiā一家diàn店huò zhě或者yī jiàn一件shāng pǐn商品“wù měi jià lián物美价廉”shí时，zhè这qí shí其实shì是yí gè一个hěn很gāo高de的píng jià评价。

Therefore, when we praise a shop or a product as 物美价廉, it is actually a very high compliment.

tā它yì wèi zhe意味着shāng jiā商家bù jǐn不仅shí zài实在，ér qiě而且yòng xīn用心。

It means the merchant is not only honest but also puts in great effort.

zài在zhè ge这个shén me什么dōu都biàn dé变得yuè lái yuè越来越guì贵de的shí dài时代，néng能yù dào遇到“wù měi jià lián物美价廉”de的shì wù事物，qí shí其实shì是wǒ men我们shēng huó生活lǐ里de的yī zhǒng一种xiǎo小xìng yùn幸运。

In this era where everything is becoming more and more expensive, encountering things that are 物美价廉 is actually a small stroke of luck in our lives.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

造句练习📝

Try creating sentences using '物美价廉'!

0/50