延年益寿 (yán nián yì shòu) — to prolong life and increase longevity (of health practices, tonics, etc.)

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'to prolong life and promote longevity,' used for health practices, tonics, or exercises believed to add years to one's life. The tone is literary, not colloquial.

idiom
to prolong life and increase longevity (of health practices, tonics, etc.)

Examples

  • 延年益寿。
    Zhè zhǒng cǎo yào jù shuō kě yǐ yán nián yì shòu.
    This herbal medicine is said to prolong life and increase longevity.
  • 延年益寿。
    Tài jí quán shì yì zhǒng yán nián yì shòu de yùn dòng.
    Tai chi is a type of exercise that extends life and promotes longevity.
  • 延年益寿。
    Gǔ rén xiāng xìn chī líng zhī néng yán nián yì shòu.
    Ancient people believed that eating lingzhi mushrooms could prolong life.

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.

延年extend years
延yánextend年niányears
动宾Verb + object
益寿increase longevity
益yìincrease寿shòulongevity
动宾Verb + object

延年, extend years, and 益寿, increase longevity, together promise long life.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 延 adds a top stroke to a form showing 彳 (walking) and 止 (foot), originally meaning to travel far, to show prolonging.

Open 延 →

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
禾禾héwheat; grain
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén年nián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

年 pairs 禾 (grain) with 人, which gives the sound. Its original meaning was harvest, and it later came to mean a year.

Open 年 →

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

益 puts 水 (water) above 皿 (a vessel), originally showing water overflowing the vessel.

Open 益 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 壽; 寿 is its simplified writing.

  • 耂耂lǎoold
  • 𢏚𢏚𢏚

The traditional form 壽 uses 耂 for old and a sound part 𢏚, plus added decorative marks; the simplified 寿 is a later shorthand.

Open 寿 →

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