外柔内刚 outwardly gentle, inwardly strong
Explanation
形容外表柔和而内心刚强的人。
Describes someone who is gentle on the outside but strong on the inside.
Origin Story
很久以前，在一个偏远的小山村里，住着一个名叫阿秀的女孩。阿秀生性善良，待人温和，总是面带微笑，但她内心却有着钢铁般的意志。村里人都说她外柔内刚。 阿秀的父亲是一位老实的农夫，母亲是一位勤劳的妇女，他们生活清贫，但一家人都过着幸福快乐的生活。然而，有一天，一场突如其来的洪水袭击了小山村，许多房屋被冲毁，农田被淹没，村民们陷入了困境。 面对灾难，许多村民都惊慌失措，但阿秀却表现出了异于常人的冷静和勇敢。她主动组织村民们自救，带领大家疏通水渠，抢救粮食。她那柔弱的身躯里，蕴藏着巨大的力量，她不畏艰险，用自己的实际行动诠释着“外柔内刚”的含义。 在阿秀的带领下，村民们团结一心，共同抗击灾难。洪水过后，小山村虽然遭受了巨大的损失，但村民们没有被击垮，他们依然坚强地生活着，这其中，阿秀起到了至关重要的作用。她的外柔内刚，成为了小山村战胜灾难的希望之光。 从此以后，阿秀“外柔内刚”的故事在小山村里流传开来，激励着一代又一代的村民们，勇敢地面对生活中的各种挑战。
Long ago, in a remote mountain village, lived a girl named Axiu. Axiu was kind-hearted and gentle, always smiling, but inside she possessed an iron will. The villagers said she was outwardly gentle but inwardly strong. Axiu's father was an honest farmer, and her mother a hardworking woman. They lived in poverty, but the family was happy. One day, however, a sudden flood struck the village. Many houses were destroyed, the fields submerged, and the villagers were in despair. Faced with the disaster, many villagers panicked, but Axiu remained remarkably calm and brave. She took the initiative to organize the villagers, leading them in clearing canals and rescuing crops. Her small frame contained immense strength, fearlessly putting into practice the meaning of "outwardly gentle but inwardly strong." Under Axiu's leadership, the villagers united to fight the disaster. After the flood, the village suffered great losses, but the villagers were not defeated. They continued to live strongly, with Axiu playing a crucial role. Her outward gentleness and inner strength became a beacon of hope. From then on, the story of Axiu's gentleness and inner strength spread through the village, inspiring generation after generation to face life's challenges bravely.
Usage
用于形容人的性格，多用于褒义。
Used to describe a person's character, mostly in a positive sense.
Examples
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她外表温柔娴静，内心却坚韧无比，真是外柔内刚。
tā wàibiǎo wēnróu xiánjìng, nèixīn què jiānrèn wúbǐ, zhēnshi wài róu nèi gāng
She is gentle and quiet on the outside, but inwardly she is incredibly resilient; that's what it means to be outwardly gentle but inwardly strong.
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他看起来很温和，但处理事情却非常果断，是个外柔内刚的人。
tā kàn qǐlái hěn wēnhé, dàn chǔlǐ shìqíng què fēicháng guǒduàn, shì gè wài róu nèi gāng de rén
He seems mild-mannered, but he handles things very decisively; he's a man of inner strength.
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虽然她说话轻声细语，但在关键时刻却能展现出强大的力量，这就是外柔内刚的魅力。
suīrán tā shuōhuà qīngshēng xìyǔ, dàn zài guānjiàn shí kè què néng zhǎnxiàn chū qiángdà de lìliang, zhè jiùshì wài róu nèi gāng de mèilì
Though she speaks softly, she shows tremendous power at crucial moments; that is the charm of inner strength.