安享 (ān xiǎng) — to enjoy (a peaceful life, happiness, etc.) in comfort and ease

Definition

A formal/literary verb meaning to enjoy a peaceful, comfortable life (often 安享晚年 'enjoy one's later years'). Pairs with abstract blessings like 晚年, 幸福, 清福 rather than daily pleasures.

verb
to enjoy (a peaceful life, happiness, etc.) in comfort and ease

Examples

  • 。
    Lǎo rén tuì xiū hòu zài jiā ān xiǎng wǎn nián.
    After retirement, the elderly person enjoys their later years at home in peace.
  • 安享。
    Tā men yì jiā rén ān xiǎng xìng fú shēng huó.
    Their whole family enjoys a happy life in comfort.
  • ，安享。
    Tā nǔ lì gōng zuò le yí bèi zi, xiàn zài zhōng yú kě yǐ ān xiǎng qīng fú le.
    He worked hard all his life, and now he can finally enjoy a peaceful retirement.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

安ānpeaceful comfort
享xiǎngenjoy

安 supplies peaceful comfort to 享, meaning to enjoy in ease and contentment.

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
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

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

享 was a drawing of an ancestral shrine.

Open 享 →

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