# 万紫千红

wàn zǐ qiān hóng

A brilliant profusion of colors or flourishing activity

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Ten thousand purples and a thousand reds

**Traditional Chinese:** 萬紫千紅

**Register:** Appreciative · expressive

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

## When to use it

Praise colorful blossoms or diverse flourishing creation.

Usually an abundance, not a single color.

## Understanding the expression

Purple and red multiply into a vivid image of countless blossoms. The expression most naturally describes a spring garden or a similarly rich display of color. It can also praise a flourishing cultural scene with many different voices and forms. The variety matters as much as brightness: one uniform field may be beautiful without fitting this image. Its figurative use is celebratory and suggests that distinct contributions thrive together.

## Examples

花园里万紫千红。

### Traditional Chinese

花園裡萬紫千紅。

huā yuán lǐ wàn zǐ qiān hóng 。

The garden is a blaze of colorful blossoms.

春日山坡万紫千红。

### Traditional Chinese

春日山坡萬紫千紅。

chūn rì shān pō wàn zǐ qiān hóng 。

The spring hillside is covered in flowers of many colors.

各类戏剧争艳，舞台万紫千红。

### Traditional Chinese

各類戲劇爭豔，舞臺萬紫千紅。

gè lèi xì jù zhēng yàn ， wǔ tái wàn zǐ qiān hóng 。

Different forms of drama flourish, making the stage richly diverse.

这些花把小院装点得万紫千红。

### Traditional Chinese

這些花把小院裝點得萬紫千紅。

zhè xiē huā bǎ xiǎo yuàn zhuāng diǎn dé wàn zǐ qiān hóng 。

These flowers fill the small courtyard with a profusion of colors.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%90%AC%E7%B4%AB%E5%8D%83%E7%B4%85)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=769&webMd=1&la=0)

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