画龙点睛

huà lóng diǎn jīng

Adding the Eyes to the Dragon

A painter leaves four dragons without eyes—and proves that one final detail can bring an entire work to life.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 2

READ3 min

HANZI157

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Pinyin English

文化
CULTURE

The finishing touch that changes everything

画龙点睛 literally means “to paint a dragon and dot in its eyes.” The story is traditionally associated with the painter Zhang Sengyou. Today the idiom describes adding one crucial final detail that makes a work complete or especially vivid.

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