养生之道 (yǎng shēng zhī dào) — (noun) the art or principles of health preservation (in traditional Chinese culture)

Definition

A fixed phrase from traditional Chinese culture meaning 'the way (之道) to nurture life' — the principles and practices of preserving health through diet, rest, and balance. Carries a literary, TCM-tinged tone; for plain 'stay healthy' use 保持健康.

noun
the art or principles of health preservation (in traditional Chinese culture)

Examples

  • ，养生之道。
    Tā měi tiān jiān chí liàn xí tài jí quán, shēn dé yǎng shēng zhī dào de jīng suǐ.
    He practices Tai Chi every day and deeply understands the essence of health preservation.
  • 养生之道。
    Xiàn dài rén yīng gāi duō xué xí zhōng guó gǔ dài de yǎng shēng zhī dào.
    Modern people should learn more about ancient Chinese health preservation.
  • 养生之道、。
    Zhōng yī de yǎng shēng zhī dào qiáng diào yǐn shí, zuò xī yǔ qíng xù de píng héng.
    The health preservation principles of traditional Chinese medicine emphasize balance in diet, daily routine, and emotions.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 養; 养 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 養 uses 羊 as a sound part and 食 as a meaning part.

Open 养 →

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

Open 之 →

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
行行xíngstreet
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
𩠐
首shǒu道dào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Open 道 →

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