完璧归赵 (wán bì guī zhào) — to return something to its owner in good condition (chengyu)

Definition

A literary chengyu from a story about returning a precious jade disk intact: 'return something to its owner in perfect condition.' Used to praise someone for keeping a borrowed item flawless.

idiom
to return something to its owner in good condition (chengyu)

Examples

  • ，完璧归赵，。
    Jiè le péng you de chē, yí dìng yào wán bì guī zhào, bù néng yǒu rèn hé sǔn huài.
    If you borrow a friend's car, you must return it in perfect condition without any damage.
  • ，完璧归赵，。
    Zhè xiē gǔ dǒng zhǎn lǎn jié shù hòu, quán bù wán bì guī zhào, yí jiàn dōu méi yǒu shǎo.
    After the exhibition of these antiques ended, everything was returned intact, not a single piece missing.
  • ，完璧归赵，。
    Tā chéng nuò sān gè yuè hái shū, guǒ rán wán bì guī zhào, lián shū pí dōu méi zhòu.
    He promised to return the book in three months, and sure enough, he returned it in perfect condition — even the cover wasn't creased.

Origin

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miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán完wán
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

完 pairs 宀 (roof) with 元, which gives the sound.

Open 完 →

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
玉玉yù
Sound part声符shēngfú
辟
辟pì璧bì
Same sound today

璧 contains 玉, showing it is a type of jade, and 辟, which gives the sound pì.

Open 璧 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歸; 归 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤ancient form of {{zh-l|*師|troops}}
  • 帚帚zhǒubroom; sweep

The traditional form 歸 combines 𠂤 (troops) and 帚 (broom; sweep) to show sweeping away an enemy and returning; the simplified 归 is a later abbreviation.

Open 归 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 趙; 赵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào趙Zhào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 趙 pairs 走 (walk/run) with 肖 to give the sound; the simplified 赵 is a later shorthand.

Open 赵 →

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