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张灯结彩 (zhāng dēng jié cǎi) — (idiom) to be festively decorated with lanterns and colored banners

Definition

A chengyu describing a festive setting hung with lanterns and bright banners — used for major celebrations like Spring Festival, weddings, and Lantern Festival.

idiom
to be festively decorated with lanterns and colored banners

Examples

  • ，张灯结彩，。
    Chūn jié qī jiān, zhěng gè chéng shì dōu zhāng dēng jié cǎi, xǐ qì yáng yáng.
    During the Spring Festival period, the whole city is festively decorated with lanterns and colored banners, full of joy.
  • 张灯结彩，。
    Hūn lǐ xiàn chǎng zhāng dēng jié cǎi, bīn kè men dōu zàn tàn bù yǐ.
    The wedding venue was decorated with lanterns and colored banners, and the guests were full of praise.
  • 张灯结彩，。
    Zhè tiáo lǎo jiē shàng měi nián yuán xiāo jié dōu huì zhāng dēng jié cǎi, xī yǐn hěn duō yóu kè.
    This old street is festively decorated with lanterns and colored banners every Lantern Festival, attracting many tourists.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

张灯hang lanterns
张zhānghang灯dēnglantern
动宾Verb + object
结彩tie colored banners
结jiétie彩cǎicolored banner
动宾Verb + object

张灯 and 结彩 put up lanterns and colored banners, together describing festive decoration.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 張; 张 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng張zhāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 張 combines 弓, a bow, with 長, which points to the sound; the simplified 张 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 张 →

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
火火huǒ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng灯dēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

灯 pairs 火, which shows fire, with 丁, which gives the sound.

Open 灯 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 結; 结 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
吉
吉jí結jié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 結 pairs 糸 with 吉; 吉 gives the sound, and 糸 relates to the meaning. The simplified 结 is a later shorthand.

Open 结 →

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
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi彩cǎi
Same sound today

彩 puts 采, which gives the sound, next to 彡, the three-stroke mark that carries the meaning.

Open 彩 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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