荣华富贵 (róng huá fù guì) — wealth and high position; glory, splendor, and rank (a life of luxury and status)

Definition

Literary four-character idiom meaning a life of wealth, status, and luxury. Often used ironically or critically — as the examples show, to describe someone chasing it or realizing it is hollow.

idiom
wealth and high positionglorysplendorand rank (a life of luxury and status)

Examples

  • 荣华富贵，。
    Tā yì shēng zhuī qiú róng huá fù guì, zuì hòu què luò de gū dú zhōng lǎo.
    He spent his whole life pursuing wealth and high position, but ended up alone in his old age.
  • 荣华富贵，。
    Gǔ dài xǔ duō wén rén kàn dàn róng huá fù guì, gèng yuàn yì yǐn jū shān lín.
    Many ancient literati were indifferent to wealth and rank, preferring to live in seclusion in the mountains.
  • 荣华富贵，。
    róng huá fù guì Bú guò shì guò yǎn yún yān, zhēn zhèng de xìng fú lái zì nèi xīn de píng jìng.
    Wealth and high position are just fleeting clouds; true happiness comes from inner peace.

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.

荣华glory and splendor
荣róngglory华huásplendor
联合Side by side
富贵wealth and rank
富fùwealth贵guìhigh rank
联合Side by side

Glory and splendor plus wealth and rank combine to mean a life of luxury and status.

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 榮; 荣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
熒
熒yíng榮róng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 榮 pairs 木, a tree/wood part, with 熒 (yíng) as the part that gives the sound; the simplified 荣 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 荣 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 華; 华 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 華 showed flowers on a plant, with stalk and leaves below. The simplified 华 is a later shorthand and not the original picture.

Open 华 →

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
畐
畐fú富fù
Same sound today

富 pairs 宀, a roof-shaped part, with 畐, which gives the sound fú.

Open 富 →

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 貴; 贵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèimoney cowrie
Sound part声符shēngfú
臾
臾yú貴guì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 貴 uses 貝, a money cowrie, for meaning and 臾 for sound. The simplified 贵 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the old parts.

Open 贵 →

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