衣锦还乡 (yì jǐn huán xiāng) — to return home in glory after achieving success or wealth

Definition

A chengyu meaning to return to one's hometown in glory, rich and successful. 衣锦 (yì jǐn) literally 'wearing brocade' emphasizes showing off one's wealth or status on the return.

idiom
to return home in glory after achieving success or wealth

Examples

  • 衣锦还乡，。
    Tā shì yè yǒu chéng hòu yì jǐn huán xiāng, quán cūn rén dōu lái huān yíng tā.
    After his successful career, he returned home in glory, and the whole village came to welcome him.
  • ，衣锦还乡。
    Gǔ dài dú shū rén zuì dà de yuàn wàng jiù shì kǎo qǔ gōng míng, yì jǐn huán xiāng.
    The greatest wish of ancient scholars was to pass the imperial exams and return home in glory.
  • ，衣锦还乡。
    Tā zài guó wài chuàng yè chéng gōng, jīn nián chūn jié zhōng yú yì jǐn huán xiāng le.
    He succeeded in starting a business abroad, and this Spring Festival he finally returned home in glory.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 衣 comes from an outline of the chest and upper clothing.

Open 衣 →

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 錦; 锦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
帛帛bó
Sound part声符shēngfú
金
金jīn錦jǐn
Same sound today

The traditional form 錦 pairs 金, which gives its sound, with 帛, cloth.

Open 锦 →

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 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
睘
睘qióng還hái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鄉; 乡 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠨍𠨍𠨍two people facing each other
  • 皀皀jía round-mouthed food vessel

The traditional form 鄉 combines two people facing each other with a round-mouthed food vessel, depicting a feast. The village meaning is connected to this feasting event.

Open 乡 →

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