Definition
锦衣 literally means 'brocade clothes' — luxurious silk garments decorated with woven patterns. In classical Chinese and modern literary usage, it often appears in the idiom 锦衣夜行 ('wearing brocade at night'), meaning to enjoy wealth or success in secret, or in 锦衣玉食 ('brocade clothes and jade food') to describe a life of luxury. You'll mostly encounter it in historical fiction, poetry, or formal writing rather than everyday speech.
n.
brocade clothes (literary term for luxurious silk garments)
Examples
- 锦衣，。Tā chuān zhe jǐn yī, xiǎnde shífēn gāoguì.He wore brocade clothes, looking very noble.
- 锦衣，。Gǔrén shuō jǐn yī yè xíng, yìsi shì fùguì bù wéi rén zhī.The ancients said 'wearing brocade at night,' meaning wealth and honor unknown to others.
- 锦衣。Zhè bù xiǎoshuō miáoxiě le huánggōng lǐ de jǐn yī yù shí.This novel describes the brocade clothes and jade food of the palace.
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