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天长地久 (tiān cháng dì jiǔ) — (idiom) everlasting; eternal; as long as the heavens and earth

Definition

A literary chengyu meaning 'everlasting, as long as heaven and earth' — used mainly in blessings for love or friendship. 比 永恒 more poetic and set-phrase-like; 比 永久 more figurative than factual permanence.

idiom
everlastingeternalas long as the heavens and earth

Examples

  • 天长地久！
    Zhù nǐ men de ài qíng tiān cháng dì jiǔ!
    Wishing your love to be everlasting!
  • 天长地久，。
    Tā men de yǒu qíng tiān cháng dì jiǔ, ràng rén shí fēn xiàn mù.
    Their friendship is eternal, making others very envious.
  • 天长地久。
    Tā xī wàng zhè fèn yǒu yì néng tiān cháng dì jiǔ.
    She hopes this friendship can last forever.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

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

天 (heaven) with 长 (long) and 地 (earth) with 久 (lasting) pair to mean endless duration.

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
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 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Abstract ConceptsIdioms & Set Phrases

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