春暖花开 (chūn nuǎn huā kāi) — (idiom) spring's warmth brings flowers into bloom; a beautiful, thriving spring scene; (figurative) a time of happiness and prosperity

Definition

A chengyu describing a warm spring scene where flowers bloom in full. Used figuratively to mean a flourishing, happy period — e.g. a successful phase in life or work.

idiom
spring's warmth brings flowers into blooma beautifulthriving spring scene(figurative) a time of happiness and prosperity

Examples

  • ，春暖花开。
    Chūn tiān lái le, dà dì yí piàn chūn nuǎn huā kāi de jǐng xiàng.
    Spring has arrived, and the land is a scene of blooming flowers in warm spring.
  • 春暖花开。
    Tā xíng róng tā men de ài qíng jiù xiàng chūn nuǎn huā kāi yí yàng měi hǎo.
    He described their love as beautiful as the warm spring and blooming flowers.
  • 春暖花开。
    Zhè ge xiàng mù de chéng gōng ràng wǒ men yíng lái le yí gè chūn nuǎn huā kāi de shí qī.
    The success of this project allowed us to enter a period of spring-like prosperity.

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
艸艸cǎograss
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
屯
屯tún春chūn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

春 combines 艸 (grass) and 日 (sun) with 屯, which supplies the sound and is described as a swollen sprout.

Open 春 →

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
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
爰
爰yuán暖nuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暖 is made from 日, the sun, and 爰, which is used for its sound.

Open 暖 →

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
化
化huà花
Same sound today

花 pairs 艹 (grass; plant) with 化, which gives the sound.

Open 花 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 開; 开 is its simplified writing.

  • 門門méndoor
  • 一一yīlatch and/or wooden pole that shuts a door
  • 廾廾gǒnga pair of hands

The traditional form 開 shows 廾, a pair of hands, and 一, a latch or pole, inside 門, a door: hands opening a latched door. The simplified 开 is a shorthand form, so its parts are not the original pieces.

Open 开 →

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