# 寥若晨星

liáo ruò chén xīng

Be very few and far between

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Sparse as stars in the morning sky

**Register:** Literary · formal

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Emphasize the scarcity of something.

It is a literary comparison, not an exact quantity.

## The image & its use

As the morning grows brighter, only a few stars remain visible. The expression uses that sparse view to describe something rarely encountered. A small number of surviving records, available specialists, or quiet places can fit the image. The tone is literary and often slightly regretful, though rarity may also make something valuable. Name the group being counted, because a tiny number in one context may be a substantial collection in another.

## Examples

懂这门手艺的人寥若晨星。

### Traditional Chinese

懂這門手藝的人寥若晨星。

dǒng zhè mén shǒu yì de rén liáo ruò chén xīng 。

People who know this craft are few and far between.

完整保存的旧地图寥若晨星。

### Traditional Chinese

完整保存的舊地圖寥若晨星。

wán zhěng bǎo cún de jiù dì tú liáo ruò chén xīng 。

Few complete old maps remain.

这种安静的小院在市中心寥若晨星。

### Traditional Chinese

這種安靜的小院在市中心寥若晨星。

zhè zhǒng ān jìng de xiǎo yuàn zài shì zhōng xīn liáo ruò chén xīng 。

Quiet courtyards like this are rare in the city center.

资料虽然寥若晨星，研究仍在继续。

### Traditional Chinese

資料雖然寥若晨星，研究仍在繼續。

zī liào suī rán liáo ruò chén xīng ， yán jiū réng zài jì xù 。

Although records are scarce, the research continues.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 7, 2026.

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=1123&webMd=1&la=0)

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E5%AF%A5%E8%8B%A5%E6%99%A8%E6%98%9F)

## Keep exploring

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