双喜临门 (shuāng xǐ lín mén) — two happy events come at the same time; double happiness arrives

Definition

An idiom for 'two happy events happening at the same time' — often marriage plus promotion or graduation plus a new job. Literally 'double joy arrives at the door', so it pairs with celebratory occasions.

idiom
two happy events come at the same timedouble happiness arrives

Examples

  • ，双喜临门！
    Gōng xǐ nǐ jié hūn yòu shēng zhí, zhēn shì shuāng xǐ lín mén a!
    Congratulations on getting married and getting promoted — it's truly double happiness arriving!
  • ，双喜临门。
    Tā men jiā hái zi kǎo shàng dà xué yòu zhǎo dào gōng zuò, shuāng xǐ lín mén.
    In their family, the child got into university and found a job — double happiness.
  • 双喜临门，。
    shuāng xǐ lín mén De hǎo rì zi, zán men hǎo hǎo qìng zhù yí xià.
    On this wonderful day of double happiness, let's celebrate properly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

双喜double happiness
双shuāngdouble喜xǐhappiness
偏正Modifier + head
临门arrive at the door
临línarrive门méndoor
动宾Verb + object

双喜 is two happy events, and 临门 is arriving at the door.

Characters in this word

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

双 is made of two 又 parts side by side. Repeating 又 gives the sense of a pair.

Open 双 →

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

喜 combines 壴, a drum, with 口, a mouth.

Open 喜 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 臨; 临 is its simplified writing.

For the traditional form 臨, 人 is a person, 臣 is an eye, and 品 is objects, showing a person looking down at objects.

Open 临 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 門; 门 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 門 pictures a gate as two door shapes side by side; the simplified 门 is a later shorthand.

Open 门 →

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