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富丽堂皇 (fù lì táng huáng) — (idiom) sumptuous, gorgeous, splendid

Definition

A four-character idiom describing a building or interior that looks grand and magnificent, like a palace — used mainly for décor and architecture, not people.

idiom
sumptuousgorgeoussplendid

Examples

  • 富丽堂皇。
    Zhè zuò dà tīng zhuāng shì dé fù lì táng huáng.
    This hall is decorated sumptuously.
  • 富丽堂皇，。
    Jiǔ diàn de dà tīng fù lì táng huáng, fēi cháng qì pài.
    The hotel lobby is gorgeous and very grand.
  • 富丽堂皇，。
    Tā men jiā de zhuāng xiū fēng gé fù lì táng huáng, xiàng huáng gōng yí yàng.
    Their home's decoration style is splendid, like a palace.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

富丽rich and beautiful
富fùrich丽lìbeautiful
联合Coordinate
堂皇stately and grand
堂tángstately皇huánggrand
联合Coordinate

富丽 means rich and beautiful, 堂皇 means stately and grand; together they describe something very splendid.

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
畐
畐fú富fù
Same sound today

富 pairs 宀, a roof-shaped part, with 畐, which gives the sound fú.

Open 富 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 麗; 丽 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 麗 originally showed a deer with antlers. The simplified 丽 is a later shorthand.

Open 丽 →

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tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng堂táng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堂 uses 土 as a ground/earth part and 尚 for sound.

Open 堂 →

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
𤼽𤼽𤼽
Sound part声符shēngfú
王
王wáng皇huáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 𤼽 originally drew a single peacock feather; 王 was later added to give the sound.

Open 皇 →
Appears in
AppearanceIdioms & Set Phrases

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