爱不释手
- Literal
- love it, not release it from the hand
- Figurative
- To love something so much you cannot put it down; said of objects, gifts or books, and stressing fondness rather than studiousness.
Where does 爱不释手 come from?
The idea already appears in the preface that Xiao Tong, crown prince of the Liang dynasty (sixth century) and compiler of the anthology 《文选》, wrote for the works of the poet Tao Yuanming: he says there that he loved the writings so much he could not let them out of his hands. From that avowal of an enthusiastic reader came the set phrase. Today it applies to anything that captivates you: a toy, a new phone, a handmade piece, a book as well. It differs from 手不释卷, which praises someone who reads and studies without rest: in 爱不释手 what counts is delight in the thing itself.
Source (出处): 萧统《陶渊明集序》
How is 爱不释手 used? Two examples
- 生日时送他的那套乐高，他爱不释手，睡觉都抱着。
He loves the Lego set he got for his birthday so much that he even sleeps hugging it.
- 店里那只手工茶杯她爱不释手，最后还是买了下来。
In the shop she couldn't bring herself to put down that handmade teacup, and in the end she bought it.
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