纸醉金迷 (zhǐ zuì jīn mí) — (idiom) a life of luxury and dissipation; decadent extravagance

Definition

A chengyu describing a life of dazzling luxury and moral dissipation — literally 'dazzled by paper,迷失 in gold.' Strongly negative, used to condemn decadent, empty excess rather than mere wealth.

idiom
a life of luxury and dissipationdecadent extravagance

Examples

  • 纸醉金迷，。
    Tā chén mí yú zhǐ zuì jīn mí de shēng huó, zuì zhōng qīng jiā dàng chǎn.
    He was addicted to a life of luxury and dissipation, and ended up losing everything.
  • 纸醉金迷。
    Nà ge nián dài de shàng hǎi bèi miáo huì chéng yí gè zhǐ zuì jīn mí de huā huā shì jiè.
    Shanghai of that era was depicted as a glittering world of luxury and dissipation.
  • 纸醉金迷，。
    Bié bèi zhǐ zuì jīn mí de biǎo xiàng mí huò, nà bèi hòu quán shì kōng xū.
    Don't be fooled by the appearance of luxury and dissipation — behind it all is emptiness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

纸醉paper intoxicated
纸zhǐpaper醉zuìintoxicated
主谓Subject + predicate
金迷gold bewitched
金jīngold迷míbewitched
主谓Subject + predicate

纸醉 and 金迷 describe paper as intoxicated and gold as bewitched, together evoking luxurious excess.

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 紙; 纸 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
氏
氏shì紙zhǐ
Same sound today

For 纸, the traditional form 紙 combines 糸 (silk) with 氏 (the sound part).

Open 纸 →

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
酉酉yǒualcoholic drink
Sound part声符shēngfú
卒
卒zú醉zuì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

醉 combines 酉, a sign for alcoholic drink, with 卒, which supplies the sound.

Open 醉 →

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

金 was drawn with marks for two pieces of metal, along with a part that gave its sound; it first meant copper, then metals and gold.

Open 金 →

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
米
米mǐ迷mí
Same sound today

迷 uses 辵, the walking part, and 米, which gives the sound.

Open 迷 →

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