天荒地老 (tiān huāng dì lǎo) — forever and ever; until the end of time; eternally (literary)

Definition

Literary idiom meaning 'until the end of time' — used for eternal love or friendship, not casual speech. Common as a set phrase after 直到.

idiom
forever and everuntil the end of timeeternally (literary)

Examples

  • ，天荒地老。
    Wǒ yuàn yǔ nǐ xiāng ài, zhí dào tiān huāng dì lǎo.
    I want to love you until the end of time.
  • 天荒地老，。
    Tā men de yǒu qíng tiān huāng dì lǎo, yǒng bù gǎi biàn.
    Their friendship will last forever and never change.
  • 天荒地老。
    Zhè ge chuán shuō jiǎng shù le tiān huāng dì lǎo de shì yán.
    This legend tells of vows that last until the end of time.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

天荒heaven desolate
天tiānheaven荒huāngdesolate
主谓Subject + predicate
地老earth old
地dìearth老lǎoold
主谓Subject + predicate

When 天 is 荒 and 地 is 老, time has stretched to its end.

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 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss, plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
巟
巟huāng荒huāng
Same sound today

荒 is built from 艹 (grass, plant) and 巟, with 巟 giving the sound huāng.

Open 荒 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

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