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一辈子 (yī bèi zi) — a lifetime, one's whole life

Definition

一辈子 is the most colloquial 'a lifetime / one's whole life' for everyday speech. 一生 is the written/literary equivalent; 终身 and 终生 are formal, often paired with commitments or careers (终身大事, 终生事业).

noun
a lifetimeone's whole life

Examples

  • 一辈子。
    Tā yī bèi zi dōu zhù zài zhè ge chéng shì.
    He lived in this city all his life.
  • 一辈子。
    Néng yù dào nǐ shì wǒ yī bèi zi zuì kāi xīn de shì.
    Meeting you is the happiest thing in my life.
  • 一辈子。
    Mā ma yī bèi zi dōu zài wèi jiā rén cāo xīn.
    Mom worries about the family all her life.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

一辈one lifetime
一yīone辈bèilifetime
偏正Modifier + head
子zǐ

一 and 辈 give one lifetime, and 子 makes the familiar form.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輩; 辈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jū
Sound part声符shēngfú
非
非fēi輩bèi
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 輩 pairs 車 (vehicle) with 非, which gives the sound; this describes 輩, not the simplified 辈.

Open 辈 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
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