花天酒地 (huā tiān jiǔ dì) — to lead a life of luxury and debauchery; to indulge in sensual pleasures

Definition

Strongly negative idiom for nonstop drinking and womanizing — a life of debauchery, not casual 'partying'. Used in written or formal contexts to condemn wasteful, immoral behavior.

idiom
to lead a life of luxury and debaucheryto indulge in sensual pleasures

Examples

  • ，花天酒地，。
    Tā jì chéng le jù é yí chǎn hòu, zhěng tiān huā tiān jiǔ dì, hěn kuài jiù bài guāng le jiā chǎn.
    After inheriting a huge fortune, he lived a life of debauchery all day and soon squandered all the family property.
  • ，花天酒地，。
    Nà ge cháo dài mò qī, guì zú men guò zhe huā tiān jiǔ dì de shēng huó, bú gù bǎi xìng jí kǔ.
    In the final days of that dynasty, the nobles lived a life of luxury and indulgence, ignoring the suffering of the common people.
  • ，花天酒地，。
    Tā nián qīng shí bù xué wú shù, zhī zhī dào huā tiān jiǔ dì, rú jīn zhuī huǐ mò jí.
    In his youth, he was ignorant and idle, only knowing how to indulge in pleasure — now he is filled with regret.

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
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 →

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
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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
水水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
酉
酉yǒu酒jiǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

酒 pairs 酉, the original picture for this word, with 水 (water), added later to distinguish it.

Open 酒 →

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tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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