高枕无忧 (gāo zhěn wú yōu) — to be free from worries and sleep soundly; to h…

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'to rest easy with no worries' — implies a problem is fully resolved, not just postponed. Note the literal image: propping the pillow high to sleep soundly.

idiom

to be free from worries and sleep soundlyto have no cares in the world

Examples

，高枕无忧。
Wèn tí dōu jiě jué le, tā zhōng yú kě yǐ gāo zhěn wú yōu le.
All the problems are solved, so he can finally relax without worries.
高枕无忧，。
Bié yǐ wéi jìn le hǎo gōng sī jiù néng gāo zhěn wú yōu, jìng zhēng hái shì hěn jī liè de.
Don't think that just because you've joined a good company you can rest easy; the competition is still fierce.
，高枕无忧。
Zhǐ yǒu tí qián zuò hǎo guī huà, cái néng zài wèi lái gāo zhěn wú yōu.
Only by making plans in advance can you have no worries in the future.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

高 was drawn as a tall building.

Open 高 →

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

木冘枕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mù

Sound part声符shēngfú

冘

冘yóu枕zhěn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

枕 is written with 木 (wood) beside 冘; 木 is the meaning part and 冘 the sound part.

Open 枕 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

心心xīn

Sound part声符shēngfú

尤

尤yóu忧yōu

Same sound today

The heart part 心 marks a feeling, and 尤 gives the sound.

Open 忧 →

Appears in

Emotions & Feelings Idioms & Set Phrases