地久天长 (dì jiǔ tiān cháng) — (idiom) everlasting and unchanging (of friendship, love, etc.), as eternal as heaven and earth

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning 'as lasting as heaven and earth' — used to wish that love or friendship endures forever, often in wedding or farewell blessings.

idiom
everlasting and unchanging (of friendship, love, etc.)as eternal as heaven and earth

Examples

  • 地久天长。
    Wǒ zhù nǐ men liǎ de ài qíng dì jiǔ tiān cháng.
    I wish your love will last forever and ever.
  • 地久天长，。
    Yǒu yì yào xiǎng dì jiǔ tiān cháng, jiù xū yào zhēn xīn xiāng dài.
    For friendship to be everlasting, it requires sincerity towards each other.
  • ，地久天长。
    Zhè ge mín zú de wén huà chuán chéng, zhēn zhèng zuò dào le dì jiǔ tiān cháng.
    This ethnic group's cultural heritage has truly achieved something everlasting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

地久earth lasts
地dìearth久jiǔlasting
主谓Subject + predicate
天长heaven long
天tiānheaven长chánglong
主谓Subject + predicate

As lasting as earth and as long as heaven: 地久 and 天长 together mean eternal.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

久 likely came from a simple drawing of an arrow tip.

Open 久 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 長; 长 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 長 pictures an old man with long hair. The simplified 长 is a later shorthand, so its strokes do not show that original picture.

Open 长 →

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