ProverbHuman NatureChinese origin

情人眼里出西施 (Qíngrén yǎn lǐ chū Xīshī)

Meaning: A lover sees beauty in the beloved that others may not.

Literally: In a lover's eyes, Xi Shi appears

Example: “他觉得女朋友是世界上最美的人。情人眼里出西施嘛。” — He thinks his girlfriend is the most beautiful woman in the world: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Equivalents in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, German, and 5 more languages

  • English: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
  • French: La beauté est dans l'œil de celui qui regarde (literally: Beauty is in the eye of the one who looks)
  • Spanish: La belleza está en los ojos del que mira (literally: Beauty is in the eyes of the one who looks)
  • Japanese: 蓼食う虫も好き好き (Tade kuu mushi mo sukizuki) (literally: Some bugs even prefer bitter knotweed)
  • German: Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters (literally: Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder)
  • Italian: Non è bello quel che è bello, ma è bello quel che piace (literally: Beautiful isn't what's beautiful, but what pleases)
  • Portuguese: Quem o feio ama, bonito lhe parece (literally: Whoever loves the ugly finds it pretty)
  • Dutch: De schoonheid der vrijster ligt in 's vrijers oog (literally: A maiden's beauty lies in her suitor's eye)
  • Russian: Не по хорошу мил, а по милу хорош (Ne po khoroshu mil, a po milu khorosh) (literally: Not dear because handsome, but handsome because dear)
  • Polish: Nie to ładne, co ładne, ale co się komu podoba (literally: Pretty isn't what's pretty, but what someone likes)

Origin: Xi Shi is the legendary beauty of the ancient state of Yue, one of the Four Beauties of Chinese tradition: in a lover's eyes, anyone becomes her.

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