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安居乐业 (ān jū lè yè) — (idiom) to live in peace and work contentedly; a harmonious and stable life

Definition

Idiom meaning 'to live and work in peace and contentment' — the classical, literary expression for a stable, prosperous society. Often paired with 幸福美满 to describe an ideal life.

idiom
to live in peace and work contentedlya harmonious and stable life

Examples

  • 安居乐业。
    Zhèng fǔ de mù biāo shì ràng suǒ yǒu rén mín dōu néng ān jū lè yè.
    The government's goal is to enable all people to live and work in peace.
  • ，安居乐业，。
    Zhè ge xiǎo zhèn huán jìng yōu měi, jū mín ān jū lè yè, rén rén liǎn shàng dōu dài zhe xiào róng.
    This small town has a beautiful environment, the residents live and work contentedly, and everyone has a smile on their face.
  • 安居乐业，。
    Zhù fú suǒ yǒu rén ān jū lè yè, xìng fú kuài lè.
    Wishing everyone a peaceful life and happy work, full of happiness and joy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

安居peaceful dwelling
安ānpeaceful居jūdwelling
偏正Modifier + head
乐业contented work
乐lècontent业yèwork
偏正Modifier + head

安 and 居 give peaceful living; 乐 and 业 give contented work.

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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
尸尸shī
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ居jū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

居 is built from 尸 as the meaning part and 古 (gǔ) as the sound part.

Open 居 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

Open 乐 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 業; 业 is its simplified writing.

  • 丵丵zhuóchisel
  • 大大dàperson; big

The traditional 業 is explained as a picture of a beam from which bells and chimes hang, or as a person lifting that beam. The simplified 业 is a shorthand, not the original shape.

Open 业 →
Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6

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