fèng凤phoenixmáo毛featherlín麟qilinjiǎo角horn
As rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns; extremely rare and precious.
Literal meaning
phoenix (凤) — feather (毛) — qilin (麟) — horn (角)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase used to describe something extremely rare. The phoenix and qilin are mythical creatures.
Examples
xiàng像tā他zhè这yàng样de的rén人cái才zhēn真shì是fèng凤máo毛lín麟jiǎo角。
Talent like him is truly rare.
zhè这zhǒng种gǔ古dǒng董xiàn现zài在yǐ已jīng经fèng凤máo毛lín麟jiǎo角le了。
These kinds of antiques are now extremely rare.
Usage & nuances
Emphasizes the scarcity and value of something.
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