不虚此行 (bù xū cǐ xíng) — it's been a worthwhile trip; this journey was not wasted

Definition

Literally 'not in vain this journey': said after a trip, visit, or experience proved rewarding and worth the effort. Used as a set closing remark to express that the effort paid off.

idiom
it's been a worthwhile tripthis journey was not wasted

Examples

  • 煌，不虚此行。
    Zhè cì qù dūn huáng cān guān mò gāo kū, zhēn shì bù xū cǐ xíng.
    This trip to Dunhuang to visit the Mogao Caves was truly worthwhile.
  • ，，不虚此行。
    Tīng le zhè chǎng jiǎng zuò, wǒ xué dào le hěn duō xīn zhī shi, bù xū cǐ xíng.
    After attending this lecture, I learned a lot of new knowledge — it was not a wasted trip.
  • ，，不虚此行。
    Suī rán lù tú yáo yuǎn, dàn kàn dào rú cǐ zhuàng lì de fēng jǐng, bù xū cǐ xíng.
    Although the journey was long, seeing such magnificent scenery made it all worthwhile.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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 虛; 虚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
丘丘qiūhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū虛xū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 虛 pairs the upper 虍, which gives the sound, with a lower part shaped like 丘, 'hill'; the simplified 虚 is a later shorthand.

Open 虚 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

此 shows 止 (feet) and 人 (person), drawing a person stopping, to mean 'this' or 'here.'

Open 此 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 彳彳chì
  • 亍亍chù

The shape of 行 originally showed a street intersection, even on both sides. Later it became uneven, with 彳 on the left and 亍 on the right.

Open 行 →

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