====== shénxiān juànlǚ: 神仙眷侣 - A Match Made in Heaven, An Immortal Couple ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** shenxian juanlu, shénxiān juànlǚ, 神仙眷侣 meaning, Chinese match made in heaven, immortal couple Chinese, perfect couple in Chinese, Chinese chengyu for soulmates, divine couple, idyllic romance, Chinese relationship goals.
  * **Summary:** 神仙眷侣 (shénxiān juànlǚ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) used to describe a "match made in heaven" or an "immortal couple." It refers to a perfectly harmonious and loving pair who seem so blissful and content that they appear to be above the everyday troubles of the mortal world. This term evokes a beautiful, idealized image of romance rooted in Chinese mythology and is the ultimate compliment for a couple embodying relationship goals.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** shénxiān juànlǚ
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun / Chengyu (四字成语 - Four-Character Idiom)
  * **HSK Level:** N/A
  * **Concise Definition:** An idyllic, perfectly matched couple who live a life of bliss, like divine immortals.
  * **In a Nutshell:** Imagine a couple so in sync and happy that they seem to live in their own perfect world, unaffected by stress, arguments, or money problems. That's a `神仙眷侣`. This term isn't just about being in love; it describes a state of transcendent harmony and mutual devotion. It's the highest ideal of a romantic partnership in Chinese culture, often used to express admiration and a touch of envy.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **神 (shén):** God, deity, divine, spirit.
  * **仙 (xiān):** Immortal, celestial being, fairy (often from Daoist legends).
  * **眷 (juàn):** To love, to care for, to be attached to; can also refer to a family member.
  * **侣 (lǚ):** Companion, partner.
The phrase is essentially a combination of two parts: `神仙 (shénxiān)`, meaning "gods and immortals," and `眷侣 (juànlǚ)`, meaning "a loving couple" or "devoted partners." Together, they literally translate to "an immortal, loving couple," painting a vivid picture of a pair of divine beings who are also deeply in love.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **Daoist Roots:** The concept is heavily influenced by Daoism (道教), which often features stories of immortals who achieve eternal life and live in harmony with nature, free from worldly desires and strife. A `神仙眷侣` embodies this ideal in a romantic context. They have achieved a kind of spiritual harmony in their relationship that mirrors the Daoist pursuit of balance and transcendence.
  * **Comparison to "Soulmates":** In Western culture, the closest equivalent is "soulmates" or "a match made in heaven." However, there's a key difference. "Soulmates" often implies a fated, predestined connection—two people who were *meant* to find each other. `神仙眷侣` focuses less on the origin and more on the *current state* of the relationship. It describes the beautiful, peaceful, and harmonious life the couple has built together. You don't just find a `神仙眷侣`; you *become* one through mutual love, respect, and detachment from petty conflicts. It’s an achievement to be admired.
  * **Cultural Value of Harmony:** This idiom reflects the deep-seated cultural value of harmony (和谐, héxié). A `神仙眷侣` is the pinnacle of relational harmony, existing in a state of perfect balance with each other and seemingly with the world around them.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **Praising a Couple:** This is its most common use. It's a very high compliment, often reserved for couples who seem genuinely happy and in love, especially those who have been together for a long time. You might use it to describe your grandparents, a famous celebrity couple, or friends at their wedding.
  * **Aspirational Goal:** People may use it to describe their own relationship goals. Saying "我希望我们能成为一对神仙眷侣" (I hope we can become an immortal couple) is a deeply romantic expression of wanting a long, happy, and harmonious life together.
  * **Media and Literature:** The term is frequently used in articles, TV shows, and books to describe idealized romantic relationships, both real and fictional.
  * **Formality:** As a Chengyu, it is relatively formal and literary. While you might see it in a heartfelt social media post, it's not typically used in very casual, everyday slang. It carries a sense of elegance and sincerity.
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:** 
    * 看到公园里那对白发苍苍的老夫妻，手牵着手散步，真像一对**神仙眷侣**。
    * Pinyin: Kàndào gōngyuán lǐ nà duì báifà cāngcāng de lǎo fūqī, shǒu qiānzhe shǒu sànbù, zhēn xiàng yī duì **shénxiān juànlǚ**.
    * English: Seeing that elderly couple with white hair strolling hand-in-hand in the park, they truly look like a match made in heaven.
    * Analysis: This is a classic usage, admiring an elderly couple whose long-lasting love has given them a peaceful, idyllic quality.
  * **Example 2:** 
    * 祝你们新婚快乐，成为让人羡慕的**神仙眷侣**！
    * Pinyin: Zhù nǐmen xīnhūn kuàilè, chéngwéi ràng rén xiànmù de **shénxiān juànlǚ**!
    * English: Congratulations on your wedding! May you become an enviable, perfect couple!
    * Analysis: A common and beautiful blessing given to newlyweds at a wedding, expressing the hope that their marriage will be blissful and harmonious.
  * **Example 3:** 
    * 这对明星夫妻很少有负面新闻，一直被公众视为**神仙眷侣**的典范。
    * Pinyin: Zhè duì míngxīng fūqī hěn shǎo yǒu fùmiàn xīnwén, yīzhí bèi gōngzhòng shìwéi **shénxiān juànlǚ** de diǎnfàn.
    * English: This celebrity couple rarely has negative press; they have always been seen by the public as the model of a perfect couple.
    * Analysis: Used here to describe a public image of perfection and harmony.
  * **Example 4:** 
    * 他们放弃了城市里的高薪工作，一起回到乡下过着田园生活，简直就是现代版的**神仙眷侣**。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen fàngqìle chéngshì lǐ de gāoxīn gōngzuò, yīqǐ huídào xiāngxià guòzhe tiányuán shēnghuó, jiǎnzhí jiùshì xiàndài bǎn de **shénxiān juànlǚ**.
    * English: They gave up their high-paying jobs in the city to return to the countryside and live a pastoral life together; they are simply a modern version of an immortal couple.
    * Analysis: This example highlights the "detachment from worldly troubles" aspect of the term. Their simple, peaceful life is seen as a form of transcendence.
  * **Example 5:** 
    * 别看他们表面上是**神仙眷侣**，据说私下里经常吵架。
    * Pinyin: Bié kàn tāmen biǎomiàn shàng shì **shénxiān juànlǚ**, jùshuō sīxià lǐ jīngcháng chǎojià.
    * English: Don't be fooled by their appearance as a perfect couple; it's said that they argue frequently in private.
    * Analysis: This sentence uses the term ironically to contrast public perception with private reality.
  * **Example 6:** 
    * 在金庸的武侠小说里，杨过和小龙女是很多人心中的**神仙眷侣**。
    * Pinyin: Zài Jīn Yōng de wǔxiá xiǎoshuō lǐ, Yáng Guò hé Xiǎolóngnǚ shì hěnduō rén xīnzhōng de **shénxiān juànlǚ**.
    * English: In Jin Yong's martial arts novels, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü are the "immortal couple" in many people's hearts.
    * Analysis: Perfect for describing iconic fictional couples who endure trials and achieve a state of transcendent love.
  * **Example 7:** 
    * 我的人生理想就是找到一个爱我的人，过上**神仙眷侣**般的日子。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ de rénshēng lǐxiǎng jiùshì zhǎodào yīgè ài wǒ de rén, guò shàng **shénxiān juànlǚ** bān de rìzi.
    * English: My life goal is to find someone who loves me and live a life like that of a divine couple.
    * Analysis: Here, the term is used aspirationally to describe a desired lifestyle (`...般的日子` - "days like...").
  * **Example 8:** 
    * 他们俩一个爱画画，一个爱写诗，志同道合，真是一对**神仙眷侣**。
    * Pinyin: Tāmen liǎ yīgè ài huàhuà, yīgè ài xiěshī, zhìtóngdàohé, zhēnshi yī duì **shénxiān juànlǚ**.
    * English: One of them loves to paint, the other loves to write poetry; they have common interests and are truly a perfect couple.
    * Analysis: This shows that shared passions and a harmonious lifestyle contribute to being seen as a `神仙眷侣`.
  * **Example 9:** 
    * 很多人都向往**神仙眷侣**的生活，但现实中的婚姻充满了柴米油盐的琐事。
    * Pinyin: Hěnduō rén dōu xiàngwǎng **shénxiān juànlǚ** de shēnghuó, dàn xiànshí zhōng de hūnyīn chōngmǎnle cháimǐyóuyán de suǒshì.
    * English: Many people long for the life of an immortal couple, but in reality, marriage is full of mundane trifles like firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
    * Analysis: This sentence uses the term to represent an ideal that is contrasted with the mundane reality of daily life (`柴米油盐` is a common phrase for daily necessities/chores).
  * **Example 10:** 
    * 成为一对**神仙眷侣**，需要的不仅仅是爱情，更是智慧和包容。
    * Pinyin: Chéngwéi yī duì **shénxiān juànlǚ**, xūyào de bùjǐn jǐn shì àiqíng, gèng shì zhìhuì hé bāoróng.
    * English: To become a "match made in heaven" requires not only love, but also wisdom and tolerance.
    * Analysis: This sentence philosophizes about what it takes to achieve this idealized state, showing it's an active process, not just luck.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Not for New Couples:** Avoid using `神仙眷侣` to describe a couple that just started dating. The term implies a deep, stable, and time-tested bond that has achieved a state of harmony. It's more appropriate for long-term partners, newlyweds (as a wish), or very serious relationships.
  * **More Than Just "Happy":** A couple can be happy but still argue about money or get stressed about work. A `神仙眷侣` is perceived as being *above* these things. Their happiness comes from a place of contentment and detachment from worldly struggles.
    * Incorrect: 他们刚中了彩票，现在真是神仙眷侣！ (They just won the lottery, now they're a divine couple!) -> This is wrong because it links their happiness to a worldly thing (money) rather than their internal harmony.
  * **False Friend: "Power Couple" vs. "神仙眷侣":**
    * A **Power Couple** (e.g., Barack and Michelle Obama) is defined by their external success, influence, and ambition. They are powerful in the world.
    * A **神仙眷侣** is defined by their *internal* harmony and *detachment* from the world's ambitions. They might be living a quiet life in the mountains. While a couple could theoretically be both, the core focus of each term is completely different.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * **[[天作之合]] (tiān zuò zhī hé):** A match made by heaven. Similar, but focuses more on the idea that fate or destiny brought the couple together.
  * **[[比翼双飞]] (bǐ yì shuāng fēi):** To fly wing-to-wing (like a mythical bird with shared wings). Describes an inseparable couple who are always together and work in perfect unison.
  * **[[白头偕老]] (bái tóu xié lǎo):** To grow old together until hair is white. A classic wedding blessing that emphasizes longevity and lifelong companionship.
  * **[[举案齐眉]] (jǔ àn qí méi):** A wife holding the food tray to her eyebrow level (to show respect). An ancient idiom describing deep mutual respect between husband and wife.
  * **[[才子佳人]] (cáizǐ jiārén):** A talented scholar and a beautiful lady. The traditional ideal of a perfect couple based on male talent and female beauty.
  * **[[郎才女貌]] (láng cái nǚ mào):** Talented man and beautiful woman. A more colloquial version of the above.
  * **[[天长地久]] (tiān cháng dì jiǔ):** As eternal and everlasting as the heavens and the earth. Used to describe enduring love or friendship.
  * **[[灵魂伴侣]] (línghún bànlǚ):** Soulmate. A modern, direct loan translation from English that is now common in China, especially among younger generations. It lacks the mythological and Daoist flavor of `神仙眷侣`.