Skip to content
道Nihongo Path

Word 1868 of 4449

Save Sign in to track

画竜点睛

がりょうてんせい

finishing touch

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 画竜点睛を欠く。

    がりょうてんせいをかく。

    It lacks the finishing touch.

  2. 最後の詰めが甘く、画竜点睛を欠く結果となった。

    さいごのつめがあまく、がりょうてんせいをかくけっかとなった。

    The final stage was sloppy, and the result fell short of completion.

  3. この一文を加えたことが画竜点睛となった。

    このいちぶんをくわえたことががりょうてんせいとなった。

    Adding this one sentence was the finishing touch.

Common patterns

画竜点睛を欠く
to lack the crucial finishing touch
画竜点睛となる
to serve as the finishing touch
まさに画竜点睛
precisely the finishing touch

Memory tip

From the tale of a painter who added the eyes (点睛) to his dragon (画竜) and it flew away — the last small touch that brings the whole thing to life. In practice you will almost always meet it as 画竜点睛を欠く, meaning that touch is missing.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does 画竜点睛 mean?