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一帆风顺 (yī fān fēng shùn) — (idiom) plain sailing; to go smoothly without obstacles; (as a blessing) have a nice trip; wish you success

Definition

General blessing for 'plain sailing' in any endeavor — work, life, or travel. 一路顺风 is narrower, used only when someone is departing on a trip.

idiom
plain sailingto go smoothly without obstacles
phrase
(as a blessing) have a nice tripwish you success

Examples

  • 一帆风顺，！
    Zhù nǐ yī fān fēng shùn, lǚ tú yú kuài!
    Wish you plain sailing and a pleasant journey!
  • 一帆风顺，。
    Zhù nǐ gōng zuò yī fān fēng shùn, bù bù gāo shēng.
    Wish you smooth sailing at work and continuous promotions.
  • ，。
    Shì qing bù zǒng shì yì fān fēng shùn de, xū yào nǔ lì.
    Things aren't always smooth sailing; you need to work hard.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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
巾巾jīncloth
Sound part声符shēngfú
凡
凡fán帆fān
Same sound today

帆 pairs 巾 (cloth) with 凡, which gives the sound fán.

Open 帆 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 风 →

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 順; 顺 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
川
川chuān順shùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 順 pairs 川 (river), which gives the sound, with 頁 (head); the picture is a head in a river, following the current. The simplified 顺 is a shorthand.

Open 顺 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Idioms & Set PhrasesSuccess & Failure

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