起兴

qǐxīng

起兴 — qǐxīng

1. to arouse or stimulate interest; to evoke inspiration (esp. in literature or art)

   老师用小故事来起兴学生的兴趣。 lǎoshī yòng xiǎo gùshì lái qǐxìng xuéshēng de xìngqù — The teacher used a short story to spark the students' interest.

2. an opening motif or introductory device (esp. in classical Chinese poetry) that sets the tone or theme

   这首诗的起兴非常巧妙。 zhè shǒu shī de qǐxìng fēicháng qiǎomiào — The opening motif of this poem is very ingenious.