老当益壮 (lǎo dāng yì zhuàng) — (idiom) to become more vigorous and ambitious with age; to remain spirited in old age

Definition

A chengyu praising older people who stay energetic and ambitious as they age. Note: 老当益壮 ≠ 老当益壮 (老年 remittance) — it is the fixed idiom meaning 'the older, the more vigorous'.

idiom
to become more vigorous and ambitious with ageto remain spirited in old age

Examples

  • ，老当益壮，。
    Tā suī rán qī shí duō suì le, dàn lǎo dāng yì zhuàng, měi tiān hái jiān chí gōng zuò.
    Although he is over seventy, he is still vigorous with age and insists on working every day.
  • 老当益壮，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo jiào shòu lǎo dāng yì zhuàng, tuì xiū hòu hái xiě le sān běn shū.
    This old professor is more vigorous with age — he wrote three books after retirement.
  • 老当益壮，。
    Yé ye lǎo dāng yì zhuàng, měi tiān zǎo chén dōu qù gōng yuán pǎo bù.
    Grandpa is still full of vigor in his old age; he goes jogging in the park every morning.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

The shape 老 combines 人 (man), 毛 (hair), and 匕 (cane), showing a man with long hair leaning on a cane.

Open 老 →

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 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →

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

益 puts 水 (water) above 皿 (a vessel), originally showing water overflowing the vessel.

Open 益 →

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 壯; 壮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
士士shì
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán壯zhuàng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 壯 uses 士 to hint at the meaning and 爿 for the sound; the simplified 壮 is a later abbreviation.

Open 壮 →

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