风华正茂 (fēng huá zhèng mào) — in one's prime; at the height of one's youth and vigor

Definition

A four-character idiom praising someone young who is at the peak of talent, energy, and good looks — used for people in their twenties or thirties. Carries a literary, admiring tone, unlike everyday words like 年轻 or 青春.

idiom
in one's primeat the height of one's youth and vigor

Examples

  • ，风华正茂，。
    Tā sān shí suì, fēng huá zhèng mào, zhèng shì gān shì yè de hǎo shí hou.
    He is thirty years old, in his prime, the perfect time to build a career.
  • 风华正茂，，。
    Dāng nián wǒ men fēng huá zhèng mào, yì qì fēng fā, duì wèi lái chōng mǎn xī wàng.
    In those years we were in our prime, full of spirit and hope for the future.
  • 风华正茂，。
    Zhè wèi nián qīng de kē xué jiā fēng huá zhèng mào, yǐ jīng qǔ dé le lìng rén zhǔ mù de chéng jiù.
    This young scientist, in his prime, has already achieved remarkable accomplishments.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

风华grace and brilliance
风fēngstyle华huábrilliance
联合Side by side
正茂just luxuriant
正zhèngjust茂màoluxuriant
偏正Modifier + head

风华 names the grace and brilliance of youth, and 正茂 says it is just at its luxuriant peak.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

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
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
戊
戊wù茂mào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape 茂 pairs 艸 (grass) with 戊, which gives the sound.

Open 茂 →

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