梦想成真 (mèng xiǎng chéng zhēn) — dreams come true; a dream becomes reality

Definition

A chengyu used as a predicate or in congratulatory wishes ('may your dream come true'). It treats 梦想 as a noun and emphasizes the dream itself becoming reality, not the effort of achieving it.

idiom
dreams come truea dream becomes reality

Examples

  • ，梦想成真。
    Tā zhōng yú kǎo shàng le dà xué, mèng xiǎng chéng zhēn le.
    He finally got into university — his dream came true.
  • ，梦想成真！
    Zhù nǐ xīn nián kuài lè, zǎo rì mèng xiǎng chéng zhēn!
    Wishing you a happy new year and may your dreams come true soon!
  • ，梦想成真。
    Jīng guò shí nián nǔ lì, tā de mèng xiǎng chéng zhēn le.
    After ten years of hard work, his dream came true.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 夢; 梦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
夕夕xī
Sound part声符shēngfú
瞢
瞢méng夢mèng
Same sound today

The traditional form 夢 pairs 夕 (night) with 瞢, which gives the sound; its older form showed a person lying with an eye emphasized.

Open 梦 →

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
心心xīnheart, mind
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng想xiǎng
Same sound today

想 has 心 (heart, mind) below 相 (to look at); the shape shows the mind looking at or considering something, and 相 also gives the sound.

Open 想 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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