镜花水月 jìng huā shuǐ yuè

beautiful but unreal; illusion; dream

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. lit. flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake (idiom)
  2. 2. fig. an unrealistic rosy view
  3. 3. viewing things through rose-tinted spectacles
  4. 4. also written 水月鏡花

Characters

Character Meaning
镜 jìng HSK 4
mirror; lens
花 huā HSK 3
to spend (money, time); flower; blossom
水 shuǐ HSK 1
water; liquid; beverage
月 yuè HSK 1
month; moon; monthly