天下太平 (tiān xià tài píng) — peace in the world; universal peace (often in classical or idealistic contexts)

Definition

Classical idiom for a world or country at peace, with no war or disorder. Carries an idealistic or literary tone — used to describe a hoped-for or long-gone golden age rather than everyday calm.

idiom
peace in the worlduniversal peace (often in classical or idealistic contexts)

Examples

  • ，天下太平。
    Gǔ rén cháng shuō, zhǐ yǒu dāng jūn zhǔ xián míng shí cái néng tiān xià tài píng.
    Ancient people often said that only when the ruler is wise can the world be at peace.
  • 天下太平，。
    Suī rán xiàn zài tiān xià tài píng, dàn wǒ men bù néng fàng sōng jǐng tì.
    Although the world is now at peace, we cannot relax our vigilance.
  • 天下太平，。
    Tā duō me xī wàng yǒu tiān xià tài píng de yì tiān, méi yǒu zhàn zhēng hé kǔ nàn.
    How he wished for a day of world peace, without war and suffering.

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.

天下world
天tiānheaven下xiàbelow
偏正Modifier + head
太平peaceful
太tàigreat平píngpeaceful
偏正Modifier + head

天下 means the world under 天 and 下, while 太 and 平 give great peace; together they say the world is peaceful.

Characters in this word

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

太 is a modified form of 大, with an extra dot added to show 'too big'.

Open 太 →

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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